County police to be out in force this holiday weekend

Police officials in Suffolk and Nassau counties plan to beef up security and surveillance this holiday weekend to prevent drunken driving and boating.

In Suffolk, additional officers will patrol neighborhoods, helicopters will be on the lookout for erratic driving, and the county's marine bureau will have more staff working, Suffolk Police Commissioner Richard Dormer said. "We're asking people to be responsible," he said. "We need the cooperation of the public to be safe."

In Nassau, dozens of officers will watch by land and by sea for impaired drivers, said Police Commissioner Lawrence Mulvey. "I want people to have a good time," he said. "Let us intercede before they get behind the wheels."

Meanwhile, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced Thursday he and other senators have introduced legislation to fund research of drunken driving prevention technology. Possibly available within five to 10 years, the technology would detect blood-alcohol levels through several means, such as sweat on a steering wheel. Vehicles would shut down or not start if they detected an intoxicated driver.

Schumer said the bill would use $12 million already funded for auto research.

In Suffolk, Denna Cohen, president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving's Long Island chapter, urged partygoers to be responsible. Her daughter, Jodi, 21, was killed by a drunken driver in 1989. "Some people don't get it and some people don't care," she said. "I'm hoping people will understand how deadly this can become."