Camp Road in the Town of Hamburg was the site of a focused anti-DWI effort on the Thanksgiving holiday as a combined force of Hamburg Police Officers and New York State Troopers conducted a sobriety checkpoint. Nearly 1,000 vehicles passed through the operation, with officers arresting two drivers for DWI and reporting 20 secondary inspections for alcohol. Two other motorists were issued tickets for driving without a license due to a previous DWI. The Erie County Sheriff’s Office conducted roving DWI patrols during the same period on the holiday, arresting two drivers for DWI and two for driving without a license due to a prior DWI conviction.

“At the holidays and throughout the year, law enforcement works hard to keep residents safe on the roadways and remove dangerous drivers. Individuals need to do their part and not get behind the wheel if they have been drinking,” said Director of the Erie County STOP DWI Office John Sullivan. “Officers at the checkpoints reported a heavy use of ridesharing services such as Uber and Lyft, demonstrating the values of these services in avoiding drinking and driving. Extra patrols are planned for the area through Sunday, and we are strongly advising motorists to make arrangements for a safe ride home if they will be out celebrating.”

The Erie County STOP DWI Office encourages drivers to download New York State’s “Have a Plan” app at http://stopdwi.org/mobileapp to learn more about local options for safe rides home, and also to learn more about the consequences and costs of a DWI conviction. The average cost of a typical DWI offense is approximately $10,000.

This operation is a cooperative effort of the Erie County Chiefs of Police Association, the NYS Police, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, and the Erie County Department of Central Police Services with the support of Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz.

For more information:

On the Erie County STOP DWI Office, visit http://www.stopdwi.org/initiatives-Erie

On the Erie County Department of Central Police Services, visit http://www2.erie.gov/cps/