Police Start Thanksgiving Crackdown

The New York State Police and local law enforcement agencies will crack down on impaired, distracted and speeding drivers during this Thanksgiving holiday. The special traffic enforcement period will run from Wednesday, Nov, 25 through Sunday, Nov, 29, 2015.

Putnam County Sheriff Donald B. Smith and Town of Kent Police Department Chief Alexander W. DiVernieri, Jr. report that their departments will be jointly coordinating increased patrols for drunk drivers along area roadways as part of the statewide STOP-DWI crackdown.

“Some people, including college students home on school break for Thanksgiving Day, like to kick-off the long holiday weekend at house parties or at drinking establishments on what has come to be called ’Blackout Wednesday,’ the evening before Thanksgiving Day. Unfortunately, that all too often can result in people getting behind the wheel after they’ve had too much to drink,” said DiVernieri.

Historically, holiday festivities usually gives rise to increased incidents of impaired driving and drinking related crashes, resulting in injuries and deaths on New York roadways. In 2012, 416 motorists died during the Thanksgiving Day weekend across the country. In an effort to deter DWI offenses around this Thanksgiving Day, the New York State Police, County Sheriffs, and local law enforcement agencies across the state will be out in force this weekend, on the lookout for impaired drivers with increased patrols and sobriety checkpoints.

While STOP-DWI efforts across New York have led to significant reductions in the numbers of alcohol and drug- related fatalities, too many lives are still being lost because of crashes caused by drunk or impaired drivers. Highly visible and highly publicized efforts like the STOP-DWI Crackdown Campaign aim to further reduce the incidence of drunk and impaired driving. Research shows that high-visibility enforcement can reduce drunk driving fatalities by as much as 20 percent.

Sheriff Smith said that sheriff’s deputies and officers from the Kent Police Department will be on the lookout for drunk drivers around Thanksgiving Day. “We are letting people know this in advance as a deterrent to drunk driving, and to remind folks that they must drink responsibly or make appropriate plans now to either have a designated driver or use a taxi,” said the Sheriff.

The State Police are adding patrols statewide to crackdown on drivers who speed, are impaired, are underage drinking, or distracted while driving. There will be fixed sobriety checkpoints, an underage drinker initiative and the “Operation Hang Up” initiative, which targets drivers talking on cell phones or texting. State Police will use unmarked vehicles.

The NY State Police urges drivers to remember these helpful safety tips:

• Plan a safe way home before the fun begins;
• Before drinking, designate a sober driver;
• If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation;
• Use your community’s sober ride program;
• If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate to contact local law enforcement;
• If you know someone who is about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely.