Putnam, NY Cops Begin Holiday Stop-DWI Enforcement

The Putnam County Sheriff's Office, Carmel Police Department and Kent Police Department will participate in a special enforcement effort to crackdown on impaired driving.

They're part of a combined effort to stop impaired driving, prevent injuries and save lives across New York. The statewide STOP-DWI Crackdown efforts start Wednesday and end Sunday.

Research shows that high-visibility enforcement can reduce impaired driving fatalities by as much as 20 percent. Sobriety checkpoints play a key part in raising awareness about the problem.

"Impaired driving is completely preventable. All it takes is a little planning. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving Weekend!" Putnam County Sheriff Robert L. Langley, Jr., Town of Carmel Police Department Chief Michael Cazzari and Kent Police Department Chief Kevin Owens said in their press release.

The Thanksgiving holiday weekend is a time when alcohol consumption is widespread. During the 2018 Thanksgiving holiday period, troopers arrested 215 drivers for DWI, issued 5,834 speeding tickets, 774 tickets for distracted driving, and 218 tickets for move over law violations.

"Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel times of the year and our focus is helping ensure everyone gets where they need to go safely so they can spend quality time with family and loved ones," Gov. Andrew M Cuomo said in a press release. "State troopers and local law enforcement will be highly visible in the coming days, cracking down on impaired and reckless drivers - and I urge drivers to follow the law and make safety your top priority while out on the roads."

The NYSP will supplement regular patrols statewide, including fixed sobriety checkpoints, underage drinking enforcement and the "Operation Hang Up" initiative, which targets distracted drivers by utilizing Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement patrol vehicles to better locate drivers talking or texting on hand held devices. These unmarked vehicles blend in with every day traffic but are unmistakable as emergency vehicles once the emergency lighting is activated.