Local Departments Receive Grants for Enforcement
By Hank Russell
The New York State Police, along with other local and county law enforcement, will increase patrols to combat drunk, impaired, and reckless driving throughout this Memorial Day weekend. The special enforcement period runs until Monday, May 25 at 11 p.m.
The extra patrols during this period are being funded through grants from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC). According to the NYSP, Memorial Day is one of the busiest travel holidays of the year and police will be out in force to remove impaired and reckless drivers from our highways.
Drivers can expect to see sobriety checkpoints and increased patrols by State Police and local law enforcement agencies during this holiday weekend. Troopers will be using both marked State Police vehicles and Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement (CITE) vehicles as part of this crackdown to more easily identify motorists who are violating the law. CITE vehicles allow the Trooper to better observe driving violations. These vehicles blend in with everyday traffic but are unmistakable as emergency vehicles once the emergency lighting is activated.
“We want to make sure everyone has a great kickoff of the summer season and stays safe on the road,” said Governor Kathy Hochul. “If you are getting behind the wheel, drive responsibly and never drive impaired. There is zero tolerance in New York for such irresponsible and dangerous behavior.”
On Memorial Day weekend in 2025, Troopers arrested 245 people for driving while impaired, issued 12,062 total tickets, and investigated 774 crashes, which resulted in three reported fatal crashes.
New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, “Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of the busy summer travel season, and our members will be highly visible across the state working to keep motorists safe. We are reminding everyone to make responsible decisions before getting behind the wheel. Impaired, reckless, and distracted driving place lives at risk and will not be tolerated on New York’s roadways. If you plan to celebrate, have a sober transportation plan in place, obey traffic laws, slow down, move over for emergency and highway workers, and help us ensure everyone arrives home safely.”
The GTSC and the New York State STOP-DWI Foundation remind motorists that their “Have a Plan” mobile app is available for Apple, Droid and Windows smartphones. The app enables New Yorkers to locate and call a taxi service and program a designated driver list. It also provides information on DWI laws and penalties, and a way to even report a suspected impaired driver.
Motorists are also reminded to follow the state’s Move Over Law, which requires drivers to slow down and move over for all vehicles stopped along the roadway, including law enforcement vehicles, fire trucks, ambulances, tow trucks, maintenance vehicles and disabled vehicles.
To reduce distracted driving, New York provides text stops, park-and-ride facilities, rest stops, service areas and parking areas along state highways. All text stops will remain open, providing locations where drivers can safely use their mobile devices. Texting while driving is especially dangerous, as it takes the motorist’s eyes off the road, hands off the wheel and mind off driving.
To help ease travel during the busy holiday weekend, temporary, short-term lane closures for road and bridge construction projects on New York State highways will be suspended through 6 a.m. on Tuesday, May 26.
Motorists should be aware that some work may continue behind permanent concrete barriers, or if emergency repairs are necessary. The construction suspension aligns with New York State’s Drivers First Initiative, which prioritizes the convenience of motorists to minimize traffic congestion and travel delays due to road and bridge work.
In other news, the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office provided grants of $30,000 apiece to the Long Beach and Freeport Police Departments. The money will be used for enhanced DWI patrols from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
The grants, fully funded by criminal asset forfeiture provided by NCDA, will be used to provide hundreds of hours of dedicated patrols to combat drunk and drugged driving during the Memorial Day holiday weekend and continue through Labor Day. This period is widely considered one of the deadliest on Nassau County roadways.
The stepped-up enforcement will be staffed by officers who are trained in field sobriety tests, breath analysis, and drug recognition. Patrols will focus on peak travel periods, such as weekends and holidays, and target areas where DWI offenses are most likely to take place, including bars, waterfront areas, and outdoor restaurants.
With the assistance of the NCDA grant funds, the Long Beach Police Department and Freeport Police Department stepped up patrols during the 100 deadliest days of summer last year.
From Memorial Day to Labor Day 2025, Freeport Police made 63 arrests for DWI crimes. These arrests accounted for 43% of the total DWI arrests that Freeport Police made in 2025.
The Long Beach Police Department made 39 arrests for DWI crimes in 2025 and 21 of those DWI arrests occurred during this grant period over the summer months.
In 2025, 20 innocent victims were killed by drunk, drugged, or reckless drivers in Nassau County.
Of the total motor vehicle crashes across the county last year, 91 resulted in serious physical injuries or death, a 16% increase from 2024.
Since January 2026, there have been 33 motor vehicle crashes across Nassau County that resulted in serious physical injury or death, an increase from this time last year. These crashes caused 15 deaths and left 22 others with serious injuries. Five of these deaths were caused by three impaired or reckless drivers.
“This weekend, our roads will only get more dangerous as tourists and New Yorkers start traveling across Long Island for summer barbeques, graduation parties, or vacations at the beach,” said Nassau DA Anne Donnelly. “More cars on the road can create more risk, especially when combined with alcohol or drug activity.”
Long Beach Police Commissioner Richard DePalma said, “As a popular summer destination, the City of Long Beach experiences a significant increase in both pedestrian and vehicular traffic during the warmer months, making these funds an integral part of our efforts to maintain safe streets and protect both residents and visitors.”
“We encourage everyone to enjoy the summer and take advantage of all that our waterfront communities have to offer,” said Freeport Police Chief Michael Smith. “This is an excellent time of year. We urge you to enjoy this time responsibly. Don’t drink and drive. Our summer patrols have increased, and there is zero tolerance for driving under the influence.”