Putnam County Sheriffs Look to Curb DWI During Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is coming but not without it's challenges.

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You'll have to figure out which party to go to or what snacks to buy and there is that huge matter of how to get home safely? Many people pick a designated driver ahead of time and some call an Uber. What about the folks who don't have a plan? What about those who intend to drink and drive? Those people have been put on-notice by the Punam County Sheriff's Department

On Wednesday (2/1/23), the Putnam County Sheriff's Department led by Kevin McConville, issued the following statement:

Putnam County to Participate in Statewide STOP-DWI

SUPER BOWL “High Visibility Engagement Campaign”

Putnam County Sheriff Kevin McConville, Carmel Police Department Chief Anthony Hoffmann and Kent Police Department Chief Kevin Owens announced today that Putnam County police agencies and STOP-DWI Coordinators will participate in special efforts to bring awareness to the dangers of impaired driving.

The Super Bowl is America’s most watched national sporting event, and Super Bowl Weekend is historically a deadly period for impaired driving. In a combined effort to bring awareness to the dangers of impaired driving, prevent injuries and save lives, law enforcement officers across New York State and STOP-DWI programs will be participating in special engagement efforts. The statewide STOP-DWI High Visibility Engagement Campaign start on February 10, 2023 and will end on February 13, 2023.

The press release also stated:

"You can help to make a difference by Having a Sober Plan! Download our mobile app – “Have a Plan” and you will always be able to find a safe ride home www.stopdwi.org/mobileapp Impaired driving is completely preventable. All it takes is a little planning."

The STOP-DWI app provides a lot of information, things like impaired driving statistics and even a comprehensive outline of consequences for an impaired drivers. Below, I copied and pasted from a portion their "Consequences and Cost" page.

Financial Costs to Offenders

Fines for alcohol offenses range from $300 to $10,000. In addition to fines, court surcharges are applied to each offense and range from $260 for conviction of DWAI, a violation, to $520 for a Felony offense.
Separate from fines and surcharges, a $750.00 Driver Responsibility Assessment is levied by the Department of Motor Vehicles, in addition to typical fees for re-issuing a license.In order to be eligible for conditional license, a fee of $200 to $225 is paid to for attendance of the NYS Drinking Driver Program. If referred for alcohol and substance abuse evaluation, each offender is responsible for the cost of treatment not covered by insurance.To all of these costs, each offender must add the cost of a Lawyer to represent them in Court. Depending on the complexity of the case, fees range from $2,000 to $10,000.Finally, each DWI Offender will have to purchase Automobile Insurance from the risk pool. The premiums paid by this group are typically 3 times that of other drivers.
Estimates of the Total financial cost of a typical DWI: $4,000 to $15,000.

Sentencing Guidelines

New York DWI Laws prohibit persons charged with driving while intoxicated from pleading guilty to a non-alcohol related offense except under very narrow evidentiary circumstances.

In addressing the practice of plea bargaining, an essential component of an overburdened criminal justice system, the New York lawmakers put in place landmark legislation regarding DWI related offenses. Click here for a chart of penalties.

The "visibility" part of this program is just what it sounds like. There will be a heavier police presence in Putnam County, during the Super Bowl time period.

Out of curiosity, I downloaded the Stop DWI app to see what it was all about. It was free and easy to download but that is where the good news ends. What I was looking for was an option for free sober rides and that option was not there. If it is available through the app, it's too hard to find and I was sober when I went looking for it.

Lou's Phone

Basically, it tells you to call an Uber or a Lyft. Anyone who already uses Uber and Lyft would not need to go to this app to find a ride. I'm not criticizing the P.C.S.D. they do a great job, I just thought New York State might be providing free sober rides for the Super Bowl and that doesn't appear to be the case. Who knows? I could be wrong, maybe the option for a free ride will appear the day of the Super Bowl.

Impaired driving is no small issue. The app has personal victim stories available to read and they are tragic and life altering cases.

Want more Putnam County talk? If so, check out the Ethan, Lou & Large Dave Podcast. The show is available wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple and Spotify. The program is the same one we do on the radio but with limited commercials and no music. You can also listen live by streaming the show on the I-95 Rock Mobile app, or tune into I-95 (95.1FM).

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Photo: Aurora Photography

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