By Sarah Roebuck
Police1
The long Memorial Day weekend is often considered the unofficial start to summer, which means more people will be traveling and patrols will be up.
Many law enforcement agencies have shared plans to keep community members in their jurisdictions safe during the holiday weekend.
Texas
The Austin Police Department will be enforcing a DWI No Refusal Initiative from May 23 to 27.
The initiative enables officers to obtain blood search warrants for suspects who refuse breath or blood tests when pulled over on suspicion of impaired driving, Hoodline reports.
“This initiative will also focus on highways, high-speed roadways and waterways,” Austin police said.
West Virginia
West Virginia State Police troopers will be on patrol on the Turnpike as part of the agency’s Targeted Traffic Enforcement Initiative from May 21 through 28, WSNV reports. The initiative includes speed patrols, Click It or Ticket, DUI patrols, distracted driving and other traffic and criminal laws in West Virginia.
Troopers will also participate in the Combined Accident Reduction Effort, ensuring public safety and investigating any accidents that occur.
The West Virginia Parkways Authority estimates that 555,000 transactions will occur on the West Virginia Turnpike during the Memorial Day holiday weekend, from Thursday, May 23, 2024, to Monday, May 27, 2024.
California
In northern California, Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office said it will hold a sobriety checkpoint to identify and remove those who drive under the influence from the county’s roadways.
The deputies taking part in the DUI checkpoints received specialized training that will help them identify and remove persons under the influence from roadways.
The funding for the DUI checkpoints is from a grant from the California Cannabis Tax Fund.
Florida
Miami and Miami-Dade police and fire rescue, along with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Coast Guard and National Park Service, will heavily patrol the waterways for the holiday, the Miami Herald reports.
Florida tops the nation with 1,035,911 registered boats in 2023, marking an 8% increase since 2019, according to the FWC.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania State Police will conduct roving DUI patrols throughout the state during the holiday weekend, North Central PA reports.
The checkpoint(s) will focus on areas with a high incidence of DUI-related crashes, based on statistical data, according to the report.
Buckle your seat belt or buckle down for a ticket.#ClickItOrTicket #BeSafePA pic.twitter.com/eu2jnJKBMv
— PA Department of Transportation (@PennDOTNews) May 23, 2024
