Garden City Police Beefing Up DWI Holiday Patrols

Garden City Police Commissioner Ernest Cipullo announces that the Garden City Police Department has instituted increased DWI patrols to combat the traditional rise in DWI infractions during the holiday season. 

These increased patrols actually began during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and will continue through the holiday season.

"As long as there are people who drink and drive, the Garden City Police Department will actively pursue and arrest all violators," Commissioner Cipullo said.  

The Garden City Police Department would like to stress to everyone that at all times, especially during the holiday season, please don't drink and drive. Data has shown that alcohol is a factor in more than 40 percent of all fatal traffic cases and for every age between 6 and 33, traffic crashes are the greatest single cause of death. Alcohol related accidents are typically higher during the holiday season.

Police Commissioner Cipullo encourages any person who witnesses someone driving erratically to call the police immediately as was the case on Dec. 18 when police officers arrested a driver based on a telephone call from a witness who reported that a driver was driving erratically on Stewart Avenue with no front tire.

Telephone calls such as this may prevent an accident from occurring as well as save someone's life. A person with a cellular phone who witnesses a possible drunk driver as well as any other police emergency, is encouraged to notify the police by dialing 911.

The Garden City Police Department feels that strict enforcement of DWI laws by the police, as well as increased public awareness concerning the possible consequences of drinking and driving, will help reduce the amount of tragic incidents attributed to DWI.

"Please heed the commissioner's warnings," Mayor Robert Rothschild said. "We are very concerned about what goes on within the village and obviously outside the village. Please take care this holiday and let's see you back in January."