DOVER, Del.- Police in Delaware will be cracking down on drunk driving this Fourth of July weekend with the launch of the state Office of Highway Safety's eighth annual Checkpoint Strikeforce campaign.
Checkpoint Strikeforce is a regional sobriety checkpoint campaign aimed at arresting DUI offenders, and using high visibility enforcement to deter those who would otherwise choose to drink and drive. The campaign, a 6-month-long effort running through New Year's Eve, involves setting up weekly DUI checkpoints statewide. Officers participating in the 2008 campaign made 559 DUI arrests.
Ninety-eight sobriety checkpoints are scheduled to take place over the next six months, with six of them set to occur this weekend. During peak holiday times including Labor Day, Halloween, and the month of December, OHS will increase the number of checkpoints and add roving DUI patrols to the plan.
Currently, alcohol-related fatalities are down significantly in Delaware. The OHS says nine of this year's 51 traffic deaths (17 percent) have been alcohol-related. At this time last year, 29 of the state's 59 fatalities (49 percent) involved alcohol. Alcohol involvement is also suspected to have been a factor in two of last weekend's four fatal crashes, according to the OHS.
"While the reduction in alcohol-related traffic deaths is encouraging, it does not mean that we should in any way cut back on our enforcement or awareness efforts," said OHS Director Tricia Roberts. "Too many people still fail to understand that alcohol and driving don't mix. Impaired driving is no accident-nor is it a victimless crime. We will continue our work to bring it to an end."
Twenty-two police agencies are participating in this year's Checkpoint Strikeforce campaign. They include: Clayton police, Delaware State Police, Dover police, Georgetown police, Harrington police, Laurel police, Milford police, Millsboro police, Rehoboth Beach police, Seaford police, Smyrna police and the New Castle County DUI Task Force which is comprised of Delaware City police, Division of Alcohol Tobacco Enforcement, Division of Capitol Police, DNREC State Park Police, Elsmere police, Middletown police, New Castle City police, New Castle County police, Newark police, Newport police, and Wilmington police.
Six checkpoints are set to take place during the Fourth of July weekend. Some will begin as early as 9 p.m. and last as late as 3 a.m. the following morning. The checkpoints are scheduled for:
Friday, July 3
- Newport (New Castle County DUI Task Force)
- Kent County (Delaware State Police Troop 3)
- Millsboro (Millsboro Police Department)
- Milford (Milford Police Department)
Saturday, July 4
- Harrington (Harrington Police Department)
- Smyrna (Smyrna Police Department)
Follow Checkpoint Strikeforce campaign updates on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DEHighwaySafe or by logging on www.ohs.delaware.gov.
