Nassau County Police Department to Increase Enforcement in an Effort to Ensure a Safe Holiday Weekend

Wantagh, N.Y. -- Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi, together with Police Commissioner James H. Lawrence, today announced that the Nassau County Police Department will be deploying additional officers on the county's roads and waterways this Labor Day weekend. These officers will be responsible for detecting and arresting intoxicated motorists and boaters, as well as other enforcement initiatives to ensure a safe weekend for county residents and visitors.

"The added police presence reflects the Administration's commitment to ensuring the safety of its residents and visitors on our roads and waterways," said the County Executive. "We want people to enjoy the holiday weekend and have fun, but remember to be safe and avoid operating any motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol."

"The Nassau County Police Department is encouraging everyone to enjoy this holiday weekend and be assured that we are committed to ensuring the safety of our citizens by being highly vigilant in our enforcement efforts on all our county roads and waterways," said Commissioner Lawrence.

There are two components - highway and marine - to the police department's increased activity this weekend. Both the Highway and Marine Patrol will deploy extra officers whose efforts will be focused on finding and arresting drunk drivers in addition to targeting unsafe driving and boating activity.

The Nassau County Police Department's Highway Patrol Bureau will be coordinating centralized "STOP-DWI" posts, which began Thursday, September 2 and will continue through the weekend at various locations throughout the County. Locations are chosen based on traffic volume and visibility. Much of the cost of this added enforcement effort will be paid through the statewide grant program, "Campaign Clean and Sober."

The Nassau County Police Department's Marine/Aviation Bureau, in conjunction with the "STARCOM" Homeland Security joint law enforcement initiative, will employ additional boat patrols on both the North and South Shores to enforce boating and Jet Ski laws such as, Boating While Intoxicated (BWI), speeding and other violations.

"The harm that can be caused by intoxicated drivers and boaters is irreparable," said the County Executive. The Police Department's Highway Patrol and Marine/Aviation Bureaus will work throughout the weekend to prevent that harm from occurring. Our police officers do an incredible job at keeping our residents safe."