Dedicated Police Agencies Have Impact in Newark

I have been volunteering at the sobriety checkpoints held in the city of Newark and throughout New Castle County. These late night weekend checkpoints are part of the statewide Checkpoint Strikeforce initiative in Delaware. Just what is Checkpoint Strikeforce? Checkpoint Strikeforce is a six-month, intense mobilization solely aimed at getting impaired drivers off our roadways. The checkpoints are held every weekend at different locations, such as Newark, Newport, Middletown, and Wilmington and run from 10pm till 2am on a Friday or Saturday night.
 

What I know about the checkpoints is that their success in the community is due to the dedication of police officers involved in the task force. The northern Delaware task force is comprised of officers from the local police municipalities who work together to form a collaborative group large enough to staff and conduct these late night weekend checkpoints. It takes about 15 officers and several volunteers to properly run a safe checkpoint. The roads must be well lit, so construction traffic lights and marked patrol cars with flashing lights are on non-stop and the area is marked off with traffic cones for the safety of the vehicles going through the checkpoint, those conducting the checkpoint, and to avoid traffic backups.

During checkpoints in Newark, my job is to show up in a reflective vest and carry a flashlight. I direct traffic and count the number of cars that go through the checkpoint as a reporting tool. I usually am not looking forward to going out late at night, but I know in a small way I am contributing to the safety of my community. My kids will tease me - there she goes again - safety lady! But what knocks me over is that I get to see first hand how hard these officers work without complaint to get the job done right. I see many of the same officers at the checkpoints, who have already worked a full week at their regular job and other extra assignments. The officers' commitment to giving up their time without question to assist every weekend is what makes these checkpoints successful.

The officers are very professional in their questioning of the drivers who go through the checkpoint. Once an area is designated as a checkpoint, all cars going through the checkpoint are counted and stopped for routine questioning - no preference is given to anyone. The officers work steady during the entire time of the checkpoints. Not your usual cops television show. Let me tell you it is not easy standing there for hours at a time, in the humid or cold weather, without a break. I am not sure I could be so unselfish with my time on a continual basis. It does make a difference when drivers take a moment to offer a word of thanks for being out there and some even come back with coffee and snacks.
 

Although not as exciting as you might think, bur rather routine, the checkpoints work. How do I know they work? I know that they are having an impact in Newark because many young people are aware that they exist and that underage drinkers are arrested. With the recent death of an intoxicated UD female freshman, we need students to think about the consequences of breaking alcohol laws and drinking excessively. Each checkpoint has thousands of cars go through the checkpoints and the result is arrest figures that total in the double digits. These checkpoints also help with reducing speeding and increasing seatbelt use. We recently had a local high school teen partially ejected from his vehicle due to speeding and not wearing a seatbelt. We cannot be reminded enough that speed kills and wearing a seatbelt will save your life in a crash.

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