Crime & Safety

Local, State Police Targeting Drunken Drivers During the Holidays

Over the Limit, Under Arrest program continues through New Year's Eve.

Last year in New Jersey, 189 people were killed as a result of 179 alcohol-related crashes, representing a third of all traffic deaths during the year.

This year, state and local police are working to try to lower that number, especially during the Christmas and New Year's Eve holidays.

Locally, West Deptford’s police force is participating in the Over the Limit, Under Arrest program, which gives grants to individual departments to help step up DWI enforcement through New Year's Eve. Police chief Craig Mangano said West Deptford officers will be conducting saturation patrols during the holiday weekends.

At least one, and as many as three officers will be out in the township during those saturation patrols, solely on the lookout for possible drunken drivers, Mangano said.

“If you’re going to drink, drink responsibly and make sure to have a designated driver,” Mangano advised.

State police will also be out in force on state and federal highways, with more than 100 additional state troopers supplementing usual patrols, according to Col. Rick Fuentes, superintendent of the New Jersey State Police.

Those troopers will be looking for violations that typically lead to crashes, including driving while intoxicated, aggressive driving, including speeding, tailgating, weaving in and out of traffic and using handheld phones and computers.

Gary Poedubicky, acting director for Highway Traffic Safety, said, “Our goal is to make sure that everyone has a safe and happy holiday by keeping intoxicated drivers off the roads.”


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