Bridgeport PD Announces Sobriety Checkpoint as Part of Driver Sober or Get Pulled Over Campaign
By Julie Perine on August 21, 2015 via Connect-Bridgeport.com
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Bridgeport Police Department's Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Campaign is under way. Starting Wednesday, Aug. 19, the department has been staffed with extra officers in an effort to detect, stop and arrest impaired drivers.
According to Lt. M.J. Lemley, members of law enforcement have been working saturation patrols, frequenting areas typically traveled by those driving under the influence.
As part of this year's campaign, Bridgeport Police Department will conduct a sobriety checkpoint 8 p.m. to midnight on Aug. 28. That checkpoint will be located either on Johnson Avenue near the I-79 intersection or on Main Street in front of the Dairy Queen.
The following are alternate routes that maybe taken to avoid the sobriety checks; Sobriety Checkpoint U.S. Route 50 (Lodgeville Road and State Route 58) and Sobriety Checkpoint Johnson Avenue. (Interstate 79 North and South bound).
The sobriety checkpoint is not only intended to deter impaired driving, but also to educate the public of the dangers of impaired driving, Lemley said.
"We'll be handing out materials, of course, and just informing people of the hazards associated with driving under the influence," he said.
On average, more than 10,000 people die due to drunk driving incidents. The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Campaign is a nationwide effort of law enforcement to stop the deadly epidemic. Lt. M.J. Lemley said Bridgeport Police Department is on board.
The local campaign runs through Sept. 7.
Bridgeport Police and area departments see a number of impaired driving crashes and pull over a much greater number of drivers who are under the influence, Lemley said.
The local campaign is being conducted in partnership with the Governor's Highway Safety Program. Leading the nationwide effort to stop drunk driving is The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The conversation that takes place between police departments and the media also helps to get the message out to the public, Lemley said.
Athough Bridgeport PD is fairly new to this particular campaign, the department has always worked closely with the Governor's Highway Safety Program, with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and other federal agencies to combat impaired driving, he said.
