21 charged with driving while impaired / intoxicated in Dutchess during St Patrick’s High Visibility Community Engagement campaign

Local law enforcement agencies in Dutchess County including the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police, City of Beacon, City of Poughkeepsie, Town of Fishkill, Town Pine Plains, Town of Poughkeepsie, and the Villages of Red Hook, Millerton, and Wappingers Falls Police Departments collaborated in a joint effort to reduce the number of impaired drivers on Dutchess County roadways as part of a High Visibility Community Engagement Campaign that ran from March 16 to March 20, 2022. The five-day effort resulted in the arrests of 21 persons for various DWI related charges.

These coordinated details were funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and the NYS STOP-DWI Foundation, which once again awarded the Dutchess County STOP-DWI Program with a “High Visibility Community Engagement Campaign” grant for the 2021-2022 crackdown enforcement periods. The objective of this continued enforcement grant is to revitalize and enhance the visibility of the STOP-DWI Program through coordinated multi-agency impaired driving enforcement details during identified statewide engagement periods. Efforts also include the assignment of certified Drug Recognition Experts (DRE) to aid in the identification and apprehension of drivers impaired by drugs other than alcohol.

Dutchess County STOP-DWI Coordinator William C. Johnson stated “With enforcement efforts being ramped up throughout the St Patrick’s Day Crackdown period, the message is clear. These preventable behaviors and choices which are a serious safety threat to everyone on our roadways remain a targeted priority in Dutchess County. Simply have a plan to get home safely before you go out”

The following persons were charged during the effort:

*All subjects arrested and charged are alleged to have committed the crime and are presumed innocent until proven guilty and are to appear in local courts at a later date.

Published:

4/5/2022