Weekend State Police Checkpoints. Related Patrols Nab 31 Drunk Drivers
Troopers arrested 20 suspected drunk drivers in and around Lowell Friday night. Fifteen of the arrests were made at a sobriety checkpoint on Thorndike Street in Lowell, while five more were made by area saturation patrols connected to the checkpoint. Additionally, troopers assigned to the operation made eight additional arrests on other charges and issued 97 citations for traffic violations.
On Saturday night, troopers in and around Springfield made 11 drunk driving arrests. Eight of those were arrested at a sobriety checkpoint on West Columbus Avenue in Springfield, while accompanying saturation patrols arrested three more suspected drunk drivers. Troopers working the operation made two additional arrests on other charges and wrote 71 citations for traffic violations. Springfield Police officers assisting in the checkpoint and patrols made four additional drunk driving arrests.
Massachusetts State Police will run three more saturation patrols or checkpoints in coming nights - Thursday in Suffolk County, Friday in Worcester County and Saturday in Essex County.
The sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols, an important component of the State Police Department's multi-pronged road safety strategy, are funded by grants provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and distributed through the Highway Safety Division of the state Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.