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Sobriety checkpoints announced for Halloween weekend

On Behalf of | Oct 30, 2020 | DWI |

Beginning today, October 30, and continuing through Sunday, November 1, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department will be acting in conjunction with other local law enforcement agencies and authorities to crack down on driving while impaired.

This special enforcement period is part of a greater statewide effort over this Halloween weekend to reduce the number of deaths and injuries that occur from impaired driving.

Known as STOP-DWI Crackdown, this initiative is funded in part through the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and STOP-DWI NY. It begins the first half of a campaign that also includes the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

There will be sobriety checkpoints staggered throughout the county at prearranged and announced locations. Authorities are urging drivers who drink to download the free mobile app HaveAPlan to secure a safe ride home after the party ends.

If you get caught up in a sobriety checkpoint over the Halloween weekend, it is important that you know and understand your rights. You do not have to answer police questions about where you have been, where you are going or if you have been drinking.

In fact, those questions can be designed to trick you. You are not allowed to lie to the police, so it is always better to refrain from answering. Politely decline questioning and participation in all roadside sobriety tests and request to speak to a criminal defense attorney.

Expect to be arrested. Do not resist or attempt to escape because that could put you in danger and make the situation worse. Continue to calmly assert your Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination and don’t volunteer any information until you have spoken to an attorney.

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