St. Patrick’s Day patrols to target drunken drivers
If you’re looking to get lucky on St. Patrick’s Day, police have a message for you: Don’t drink and drive.
New York State, Nassau County and Suffolk County police will be sending patrols out Thursday to watch for drunken drivers.
A spokesman for Nassau police said officers would step up their efforts as part of the STOP-DWI initiative, a multiagency effort to increase patrols and sobriety checkpoints. A spokeswoman for Suffolk police confirmed its officers also would increase patrols during the day and evening Thursday.
State police have been conducting their own increased enforcement since Saturday and expected to continue patrols and traffic stops through Thursday, according a news release. Police added they would be looking for underage drinkers, alcohol sales to minors and distracted drivers using electronic devices.
It was not clear if any arrests had been made before Thursday.
The state police release said St. Patrick’s Day is one of the deadliest holidays, with drunken driving crashes accounting for 266 lives lost nationally between 2010 and 2014 during the holiday period.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s office said in 2015 troopers arrested 264 people for DWI and issued more than 14,000 tickets during patrols on St. Patrick’s Day weekend.
'The thing that really struck me was the duality of it' Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney sat down with Newsday's Doug Geed following Rex A. Heuermann's guilty plea in court.
'The thing that really struck me was the duality of it' Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney sat down with Newsday's Doug Geed following Rex A. Heuermann's guilty plea in court.
