If you are thinking about getting behind the wheel after that Halloween party, you had better think again. Sampson County’s North Carolina Highway Patrol troopers will be out in full force searching for drivers who are under the influence, working to get them off roadways.
Although they are regularly out on patrol searching for violators, Sampson County’s Troop B recently completed the “Operation Stop Arm” campaign, which was primarily focused on school zones. Now their attention will be dead on Halloween mayhem on the county’s highways and roads.
The “Halloween Booze It or Lose It” campaign will end at midnight tonight, but McLamb said troopers will continue to have a significant presence, holiday or not.
“We are always out there,” said Sgt. M.G. McLamb. “We never stop. We want Sampson County roads to be safe for its citizens and its visitors.”
Final statistics of the Halloween campaign will not be available until next week.
According to McLamb, the Stop Arm portion of the campaign ran from Oct. 15-19. During that week, 91 citations were written. “This campaign was related to traffic in and around school zones,” McLamb explained. “It included just about everything, but mainly, we were aggressively enforcing in those safety zones.”
During that week, with troopers patrolling every school zone in the county, there were two DWI arrests; 14 seat belt violations; one child safety restraint violation; 26 speeding violations; and 48 other minor violations.
“It is a lot in just a week, really too much,” McLamb attested. “We are still out there even though the campaign is over; we are still searching for offenders. No matter what, people need to be cautious when they are in and around school zones, it is as simple as that.”
Troopers have been out in full force ever since, and plan to step it up even more during Halloween.
Since last Saturday, troopers have been involved with the “Halloween Booze It or Lose It” campaign, something that has already netted plenty of drunk driving arrests.
“We were out over the weekend and we have already got quite a bit of drunk drivers off the road,” McLamb noted. “Which is a great thing. We will be out all day on Halloween, looking for those who are out driving who really shouldn’t be.”
To reach Doug Clark call 910-592-8137 ext. 123 or email to sisports@heartlandpublications.com.
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