Police increase patrols for Halloween, targeting drunk and reckless drivers

Hey, that's right. Local law enforcement and New York State Police are increasing their patrols this week as Halloween approaches, and they're specifically going to be targeting drunk and reckless drivers. So the enforcement campaign began this past Sunday and is set to go through Halloween night. It's one of several coordinated initiatives funded by the governor's traffic safety committee to reduce alcohol and other drug related traffic crashes. During last year's initiative, law enforcement officers issued more than 44,000 tickets. That included more than 1,200 for impaired driving and about 8,700 for speeding. The campaign also comes as AAA says more than 200 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes on Halloween across the country between 2019 and 2024. Troopers on the Thruway are also going to be monitoring various bridges and overpasses for any pranks and unsafe activities like throwing objects onto the Thruway. So to To help prevent injuries and medical emergencies during Halloween, the American Medical Response says you should arrange a safe ride home. If you are drinking this Halloween, designate a sober driver in your group or call an Uber or Lyft. And if you are sober and driving, make sure you're still being extra cautious behind the wheel. You should be slowing down as you drive on the road, especially in local residential neighborhoods where kids might be crossing unexpectedly because they're so excited to go trick-or-treating. So make sure you keep that in mind. We're in Port Chester, Westchester County, Katarina Balalis, News 12.