STOP-DWI Crackdown campaign is planned for Allegany County

Allegany County Sheriff Rick Whitney would like to inform the public that the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office, along with officers from the New York State Police, Department of Environmental Conservation, and Police Departments in Alfred, Andover, Angelica, Bolivar, Cuba, Friendship and Wellsville, will be participating in the statewide STOP-DWI Crackdown campaign on Saturday, March 17, 2011.  The statewide STOP-DWI Crackdown campaign is a joint effort on the part of the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, the New York State Police, New York State Sheriff’s Association, the New York State Chiefs of Police Association, and the New York State STOP-DWI Association.

These Multi Agency teams will be conducting roving DWI patrols throughout Allegany County and target areas that have a high incidence of DWI related arrests and collisions.  DWI / Drivers License checkpoints will also be set up at undisclosed locations within the county, between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. Checkpoints are placed in locations that have the greatest opportunity for achieving drunk and drugged driving deterrence and provide the greatest safety for the public and officers.   

Officers will be contacting drivers passing through the checkpoint, looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment. Drivers caught driving impaired can expect jail, license suspensions, and insurance  increases, as well as fines, fees, DUI classes, court ordered probation and other expenses that can exceed $10,000. 

Over the past 5 years, Allegany County has seen more than a 15 percent reduction in the amount of DWI arrests according to STOP-DWI Coordinator Linda Edwards. “This is in large part to the efforts of the Law Enforcement agencies in Allegany County and the efforts they put forth to inform the general public about the consequences of Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drugs. This includes the ongoing efforts between our office and local law enforcement to educate the citizens of Allegany County through local High School S.A.D.D. chapters and our collaboration with the Allegany Council on Alcoholism during Victim Impact Panels.” Sheriff’s Lieutenant Daniel Hanchett agrees and says that “Along with informing and educating the public, regularly scheduled saturation details, such as the STOP-DWI Crackdown campaign this weekend, send a very loud message that Driving While Intoxicated will not be tolerated and it seems that the citizens of Allegany County are starting to understand that now.”

While STOP-DWI efforts across New York State have led to significant reductions in the number of alcohol-related fatalities, still too many lives are being lost because of crashes caused by drunk or impaired drivers. Highly visible, highly publicized efforts like this “Statewide STOP-DWI Crackdown Weekends” campaign aim to reduce the numbers even further.