“The night before Thanksgiving is typically one of the biggest bar nights of the year especially for our young people,” said County Executive Mangano. “Nassau County will be targeting drunk drivers and looking to prevent the kind of senseless alcohol-related accidents that often occur during such a holiday weekend. There will be additional police patrols throughout the County and chances are if you drive drunk at any point this weekend, you will be arrested. Police patrols will demonstrate zero tolerance for individuals who are driving while under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Our aim will be to make the roadways safe for holiday drivers and our targets will be those who disregard the law.”

District Attorney Madeline Singas stated, “Thanksgiving Eve kicks off the holiday party season and has been referred to as ‘Blackout Wednesday’ due to the excessive drinking, especially by young people, on that night – we will be increasing DWI patrols between now and New Year’s Day but it would be best if we didn’t have to make the arrests – make a plan, don’t drink and drive, and let the holidays be full of cheer, not tragedy.”

The “STOP DWI” program is funded by DWI fines collected in Nassau County and will provide the Nassau County Police Department (NCPD) and police departments throughout the county with additional funding that will be utilized to implement an effective DWI saturation enforcement strategy that has proven very successful in years past. The NCPD’s Highway Patrol Bureau will coordinate and plan this initiative that will target certain areas throughout the county. There were 60 DWI arrests in Nassau County over last year’s Thanksgiving weekend.

County Executive Mangano and District Attorney Singas remind residents:
• If you plan to drink, choose a designated driver before going out.
• Take mass transit, a cab, or ask a sober friend to drive you home
• Spend the night where the activity is being held.
• Always buckle up – it is your best defense against a drunk driver.