Police around the state are increasing patrols and setting up DUI checkpoints.
Bars in Hartford were busy as friends reunited over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. But police are concerned about when the celebrations go too far and people get behind the wheel.
On Friday, state police stopped drivers in Hartford getting onto I-91 southbound from Jennings Road starting from about 7:00pm. The checkpoint was expected to remain in effect until about 1:30am on Saturday.
“The checkpoint is an effective way of stopping tragic accidents during the holiday season,” says Trooper Robert Zdojeski of the state police.
Not everyone thought the checkpoint was a good idea.
Michael Picard says he and others have recently been protesting these types of checkpoints.
As people drove by Picard held signs which read, “COPS AHEAD. KEEP CALM AND REMAIN SILENT.”
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“I’m not against catching drunk drivers. I’m against the method doing that,” says Picard.
Picard says there are better and fairer ways to catch drunk drivers rather than stopping everyone.
But police say a checkpoint is a good tool as part of their holiday enforcement crackdown which also includes increased patrols.
From Wednesday morning until Friday morning, police arrested 15 people for DUI, ticketed 488 for speeding, and handed out 1,119 moving violations for things such as tailgating or texting.
They say checkpoints usually catch several DUI's.
“This is a way to prevent them from entering the highway and causing accidents and hurting themselves or other members of the public,” says Trooper Zdojeski.
Police say the good news is as of Friday morning no one had died in a crash during the first couple days of the long weekend.
