Bordentown
Twp. – A cooperative law enforcement
effort among eight towns in Northern Burlington
County that is designed to combat drunk driving
will begin this weekend and continue through
Labor Day, Division of Highway Traffic Safety
Director Pam Fischer announced today.
“This
initiative, now in its second year, offers
a unique approach to combating drunk driving
among several municipalities,” Fischer
said. “By working together, the participating
police departments are sending a strong message
of zero tolerance for drunk driving. This
effort will help law enforcement work even
more efficiently to address this critical
issue, and ultimately, save lives.”
Originally
launched in July 2008 in five towns, this
innovative initiative now allows eight municipalities
(Bordentown Twp., Bordentown City, Burlington
City, Burlington Twp., Florence Twp., Mansfield
Twp., Chesterfield Twp., and N. Hanover Twp.)
to share law enforcement resources for drunk
driving saturation patrols throughout the
northern portion of the county. Under the
initiative, officers from all eight jurisdictions
will have the ability to stop and arrest drunk
drivers in any of the participating towns
in the region. The cooperative program also
enhances the efforts of the smaller towns
to apprehend drunk drivers by increasing law
enforcement visibility.
During last year’s program, which also
ran in the summer months, there was a 28 percent
reduction in alcohol-related crashes in the
five participating towns, compared to the
same time period the previous year. In addition,
a total of 42 drunk driving arrests were made
as a result of the program in the five towns,
which share the Route 130 and Rt. 206 corridor.
Arrest
numbers by town were: Bordentown Twp., 18;
Bordentown City, 8; Mansfield, 3; Chesterfield,
8; and N. Hanover, 5. Thirty-eight of the
42 individuals arrested for DWI had a B.A.C.
of more than .15.
Last
year’s program also resulted in two
arrests for possessing a controlled dangerous
substance, one burglary charge, and five arrests
for outstanding warrants. Two fugitives were
also apprehended.
The initiative is funded through a $37,000
grant from the Division of Highway Traffic
Safety. Additional information on drunk driving
prevention efforts, as well as related traffic
safety programs, is available on the Division’s
web site at www.njsaferoads.com
#
# # |
