These NJ towns are cracking down on DWIs extra-hard this week
A seasonal crackdown on drunk and impaired drivers around New Jersey launches at the end of the week, helped along by more than half a million dollars in grants earmarked by state officials.
The state Division of Highway Traffic Safety announced 110 law enforcement agencies received a total of $541,420 as part of the national initiative, “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”
The funds will be used to staff saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints during the campaign from Friday, Aug. 16, through Monday, Sept. 3 (Labor Day).
More than 300 additional agencies, including State Police, are expected to join the annual statewide traffic safety effort aimed at reducing highway crashes.
In 2017 alone, 158 alcohol/drug-related crashes killed 174 people on New Jersey roads, according to state data. Driving while intoxicated — either under the influence of alcohol or drugs — was listed as the major contributing factor in more than 25% of 591 fatal crashes that year.
During a five-year period between 2013 and 2017, 678 individuals were killed in alcohol-related crashes across NJ.
More than 1,196 impaired driving arrests were made and an additional 4,764 speeding summonses and 3,194 seat belt citations were written during last year's end-of-summer Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign.
Law enforcement agencies statewide dedicated roughly 6,200 total enforcement hours to the three-week effort, including 20 fixed sobriety checkpoints.
There also was a winter holiday DWI crackdown, from Dec. 7, 2018 through Jan. 1, 2019, involving agencies statewide.
“Impaired driving remains one of the biggest traffic safety threats in New Jersey and combating it is a year-round priority in our state,” Division of Highway Traffic Safety Director Eric Heitmann said.
Heitmann also said “As we head into the final weeks of summer and the busy Labor Day driving weekend, our officers will be stepping up those efforts, working longer hours and increasing sobriety checks to keep intoxicated drivers off the road. If you’re out there driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the odds are we’re going to stop you and arrest you.”
“With rideshare apps and other forms of public transportation readily available, there’s no excuse for anyone to get behind the wheel impaired,” state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said in a press release for the campaign.
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Aug. 2019 grant recipients
Atlantic County:
Atlantic City $5,500, Egg Harbor Township $5,500, Galloway $5,500, Hamilton Township $5,500, Hammonton $5,500, Mullica $5,500
Bergen County:
Bergenfield $5,500, Fort Lee $5,500, Garfield $5,500, Hillsdale $5,500, Lyndhurst $5,500, Mahwah $5,500, Maywood $5,500, New Milford $5,500, Paramus $5,500, Teaneck $5,500
Burlington County:
Bordentown Township $5,500, Cinnaminson $5,500, Delran $5,500, Evesham $5,500, Medford Lakes $5,500, Mount Laurel $5,500, New Hanover $5,500, Palmyra $5,500, Riverside $5,500
Camden County:
Camden County $5,500, Gloucester Township $5,500, Haddon Heights $5,500, Pennsauken $5,500, Pine Hill $5,500, Stratford $5,500
Cape May County:
Lower Township $5,500, Middle Township $5,500, North Wildwood $5,500
Cumberland County:
Bridgeton City $5,500, Vineland $5,500
Essex County:
Bloomfield $5,500, Essex Essex County Sheriff $5,500
Gloucester County:
Deptford $5,500, East Greenwich $2,200, Elk $2,200, Glassboro $5,500, Greenwich $1,760, Harrison $2,200, Logan $2,200, Mantua $5,500, Monroe $2,200, Pitman $2,200, Rowan University $2,640, Washington $5,500, Westville $2,640, Woolrich $2,640
Hudson County:
Guttenberg $5,500, Hoboken $5,500, Hudson County Sheriff $5,500, Jersey City $5,500, Kearny $5,500, Union City $5,500
Hunterdon County:
Clinton $5,500, Lebanon $2,640, West Amwell $2,640
Mercer County:
Ewing $5,500, Hamilton Township $5,500, Hightstown $5,500
Middlesex County:
Dunellen $5,500, Edison $5,500, Monroe $5,500, North Brunswick $5,500, Old Bridge $5,500, Sayreville $5,500
Monmouth County:
Allentown $5,500, Brielle $5,500, Eatontown $5,500, Howell $5,500, Middletown $5,500
Morris County:
Chester Township $5,500, Hanover $5,500, Jefferson $5,500, Morris County Park PD $5,500, Morristown $5,500, Parsippany-Troy Hills $5,500, Rockaway Borough $5,500, Rockaway Township $5,500
Ocean County:
Berkeley Township $5,500, Jackson $5,500, Seaside Heights $5,500
Passaic County:
Bloomingdale $5,500, Clifton $5,500, Passaic City $5,500, Passaic County Sheriff $5,500, Paterson $5,500, Pompton Lakes $5,500, Woodland Park $5,500
Salem County:
Carney's Point $5,500
Somerset County:
Bedminster $2,640, Branchburg $2,640, Green Brook $2,640, Hillsborough $2,640, Manville $2,640, Montgomery $2,640, Somerville $2,640, South Bound Brook $2,640, Warren $2,640
Sussex County:
Franklin Borough $5,500, Hopatcong $5,500, Sparta $5,500, Vernon $5,500
Union County:
Linden $5,500, Union Township $5,500
Warren County:
Hackettstown $5,500
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