New Jersey Turns Up The Heat On Drunk Drivers As 110 Police Departments Receive Overtime Grants For Major Statewide Crackdown
Over 100 New Jersey police departments now have access to funds totaling $540,000 for the state’s crackdown on drunk driving slated to begin immediately and extend through Labor Day weekend. The funds, delivered via overtime grants from the state’s Division of Highway Traffic Safety, are expected to bring police departments across New Jersey the all hands on deck support that they have been seeking in order to target driving while intoxicated (DWI) offenses.
Twice a year, New Jersey rolls out its “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign and the campaign is now up and running and will continue till September 3rd. While the funds are only allocated for 110 police departments, another 300+ departments, including State Police, will be stepping up their efforts to identify and arrest drivers who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, even without additional funding from the state.
Studies have shown that driving intoxicated (drugs or alcohol) was the major factor in more than a quarter of New Jersey’s 591 traffic fatalities in 2017. Of those 158 accidents attributed to intoxicated driving from either drugs or alcohol, a startling 174 people were killed.
In a statement from Eric Heitmann, the Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety, Heitmann said, “If you’re out there driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the odds are we’re going to stop you and arrest you.”
Police officers across the state made 1,196 DWI arrests and issued a staggering 4,764 speeding violations during the previous summer campaign. In addition, police officers issued 3,194 seat belt violations and ticketed another 1,490 drivers for cell phone and/or texting offenses. In short, there were a lot of laws being broken, and police departments hope that the additional funding will bolster their efforts to make the roads safer for all of us. During the latest campaign alone, officers were able to establish 20 DWI checkpoints and deliver 6,200 extra hours patrolling the streets, roads, and highways of New Jersey.
The next campaign comes during the holiday season. Looking back at the statistics from the past holiday season—Dec. 7, 2018 to Jan. 1—police officers made 1,269 DWI arrests taking a significant amount of impaired or intoxicated drivers off the roads. Additionally, they delivered over 5,704 speeding tickets and 3,125 seat belt citations as well. But as we know, driving while texting can be just as deadly as the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, and as such the Division of Highway Traffic Safety conducts a yearly campaign to stop ‘texting and driving’ and yet another specifically targeting seat belt offenders.
The much-needed statewide funding was issued to the following departments:
Atlantic County
Atlantic City $5,500
Egg Harbor Township $5,500
Galloway $5,500
Hamilton $5,500
Hammonton $5,500
Mullica $5,500
Bergen County
Bergenfield $5,500
Fort Lee $5,500
Garfield $5,500
Hillsdale $5,500
Lyndhurst $5,500
Mahwah $5,500
Maywood $5,500
New Milford $5,500
Paramus $5,500
Teaneck $5,500
Burlington County
Bordentown Township $5,500
Cinnaminson $5,500
Delran $5,500
Evesham $5,500
Medford Lakes $5,500
Mount Laurel $5,500
New Hanover $5,500
Palmyra $5,500
Riverside $5,500
Camden County
Camden County $5,500
Gloucester Township $5,500
Haddon Heights $5,500
Pennsauken $5,500
Pine Hill $5,500
Stratford $5,500
Cape May County
Lower Township $5,500
Middle Township $5,500
North Wildwood $5,500
Cumberland County
Bridgeton $5,500
Vineland $5,500
Essex County
Bloomfield $5,500
Essex County Sheriff $5,500
Gloucester County
Deptford $5,500
East Greenwich $2,200
Elk $2,200
Glassboro $5,500
Greenwich $1,760
Harrison $2,200
Logan $2,200
Mantua $5,500
Monroe $2,200
Pitman $2,200
Rowan University $2,640
Washington $5,500
Westville $2,640
Woolwich $2,640
Hudson County
Guttenberg $5,500
Hoboken $5,500
Hudson County Sheriff $5,500
Jersey City $5,500
Kearny $5,500
Union City $5,500
Hunterdon County
Clinton $5,500
Lebanon $2,640
West Amwell $2,640
Mercer County
Ewing $5,500
Hamilton $5,500
Hightstown $5,500
Trenton, $5,500
Middlesex County
Dunellen $5,500
Edison $5,500
Monroe $5,500
North Brunswick $5,500
Old Bridge $5,500
Sayreville $5,500
Monmouth County
Allentown $5,500
Brielle $5,500
Eatontown $5,500
Howell $5,500
Middletown $5,500
Morris County
Chester Township $5,500
Hanover $5,500
Jefferson $5,500
Morris County Park Police $5,500
Morristown $5,500
Parsippany-Troy Hills $5,500
Rockaway Borough $5,500
Rockaway Township $5,500
Ocean County
Berkeley $5,500
Jackson $5,500
Seaside Heights $5,500
Passaic County
Bloomingdale $5,500
Clifton $5,500
City of Passaic $5,500
Passaic County Sheriff $5,500
Paterson $5,500
Pompton Lakes $5,500
Woodland Park $5,500
Salem County
Carneys Point $5,500
Somerset County
Bedminster $2,640
Branchburg $2,640
Green Brook $2,640
Hillsborough $2,640
Manville $2,640
Montgomery $2,640
Somerville $2,640
South Bound Brook $2,640
Warren $2,640
Sussex County
Franklin Borough $5,500
Hopatcong $5,500
Sparta $5,500
Vernon $5,500
Union County
Linden $5,500
Union Township $5,500
Warren County
Hackettstown $5,500
News Source: www.nj.com