Labor Day weekend driving, boating: Police boost patrols for drunk or aggressive operators

State and county police say they will beef up patrols this holiday weekend to crack down on Long Islanders driving aggressively and under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

The Nassau, Suffolk and State police departments said they’ll have more officers on the roads and in the waters Labor Day weekend, typically one of the most heavily traveled periods of the year.

In Suffolk, police will conduct sobriety checkpoints, along with high-visibility directed patrols, in areas of high foot traffic such as strip malls and shopping centers, officials said.

“While the SCPD will be doing its part to hold people accountable for drinking and driving, success comes from the vital partnership between law enforcement and members of the community to keep Suffolk’s roadways and waterways a safe place,” said Police Commissioner Rodney K. Harrison.

The Nassau Police Department’s Marine Bureau will continue its “Operation Safe Boating” program, which increases patrols to detect impaired marine operators while monitoring waterways for reckless behavior.

Heightened patrols in both counties are funded by a DWI Enforcement grant from the state’s STOP DWI program. 

State Police said they will increase patrols and conduct sobriety checkpoints, using both marked and unmarked cars, to combat drunk, impaired and reckless driving beginning Friday and continuing through Monday

“Our goal during this enforcement is to ensure we can take intoxicated and drug-impaired drivers off our roadways before they injure or kill others,” said State Police Acting Superintendent Steven Nigrelli. 

On Labor Day weekend in 2022, troopers statewide arrested 191 people for DWI, issued 9,580 tickets and investigated 140 crashes that resulted in three fatalities, officials said.

The National Highway Safety Council said an average of 417 people die annually on U.S. roads nationwide during the Labor Day weekend — 11% more than during a typical three-day period.

The “Have a Plan” mobile app is available for New Yorkers to locate and call a taxi service, State Police said. Suspected impaired drivers also can be reported through the app.

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.