DWI Task Force to set up checkpoints throughout holiday weekend

The East End DWI Task Force will set up checkpoints at strategic locations in high-traffic areas on the East End this weekend, Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini announced Friday.

“Labor Day weekend is a great time to celebrate the unofficial end of summer on the East End, but we ask that you do so responsibly,” Mr. Sini said in a statement. “If you’re going to be out drinking, make a plan to get home safely.”

Officers will be equipped with breathalyzers and will conduct field sobriety tests if they believe a motorist has been drinking or doing drugs, according to a press release.

The East End DWI Task Force includes officers from Riverhead, Southold, New York State Police, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office and departments across the South Fork. Since its formation in 2012, it has made approximately 600 DWI arrests on holidays and peak tourism weekends throughout the year. In 2017, nine people were arrested by the Task Force over Labor Day weekend.

“The police departments on the East End do an outstanding job keeping residents and visitors safe year-round, particularly during the summer season when the population explodes,” Mr. Sini said. “Through the East End DWI Task Force, we are able to share and deploy resources in an even more effective, strategic way during holiday weekends and other times of high traffic.”