State Police Host Joint Labor Day Weekend Public Safety Event

Today, Secretary Kevin M. Burke of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, Registrar Anne L. Collins of the Registry of Motor Vehicles, members of the Massachusetts State Police, the New Hampshire State Police, the Salisbury Police Department and the Newburyport Police Department held a joint public safety event announcing enforcement efforts for the Labor Day Holiday Weekend at the Route 95 South Rest Area in Salisbury, Massachusetts.

This event highlighted the "Drunk Driving. Over The Limit. Under Arrest." Mobilization designed to reduce alcohol related crashes, which began on August 17, 2007 and concludes on September 3, 2007. Last year during the Labor Day weekend there were three motor vehicle related fatalities in Massachusetts. One of the goals of this initiative is a fatality free holiday weekend.

Secretary Kevin M. Burke of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security stated, "I would like to thank Governor Patrick and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for their support and funding of this important initiative which enables us to remove impaired drivers from the roadways of the Commonwealth and ensure the safety of the motoring public."

The Highway Safety Division of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security has provided $515,000 in funding to state and local police in Massachusetts for this initiative. The Massachusetts State Police received $120,000 from that funding to provide 380 extra State Police patrols and 5 sobriety checkpoints across the Commonwealth during the mobilization. Representatives from these police agencies discussed their respective Labor Day Holiday enforcement initiatives to include C.A.R.E. (Combined Accident Reduction Effort).

"The long term goal of our traffic safety efforts is to get all drivers to think about and make the right decisions each and every time they get behind the wheel" stated Colonel Mark Delaney, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police.

Since last Labor Day, state and local police have conducted 70 sobriety checkpoints statewide. The B.A.T. Mobile has participated in 40 of those sobriety checkpoints. The 70 checkpoints have generated 460 OUI related arrests. In 2007, OUI related arrests are up 36 percent while OUI related crashes are down 16 percent. The State Police will be unveiling a second B.A.T. Mobile later this year and they plan on increasing the number of sobriety checkpoints to 90 in 2008.

"This is a cooperative effort that will provide more safety on the roadways during the Labor Day Holiday weekend," stated Captain Chris Colitti of the New Hampshire State Police.

Representatives from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) also attended the event.

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