On Tuesday, July 1, at 11am, Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr., will be joined by County Executive Ed Romaine and local advocates to announce the launch of a Summer STOP-DWI Campaign aimed at keeping impaired drivers off Suffolk County’s roads during one of the most dangerous times of the year. The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office’s STOP DWI team, which is slated to break an annual record of DWI-related arrests, with 116 arrests to date compared to 209 in all of 2024, will be increasing patrols and sobriety checkpoints from Huntington to the Hamptons, starting July 4th weekend and continuing through the summer. The initiative will place special emphasis on outreach to young adults, who are at a heightened risk for impaired driving incidents.
Sheriff Toulon will be joined by Emily Cordano, a Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office intern and close friend of Andrew McMorris, who was tragically killed by a drunk driver while hiking with his Boy Scout Troop in 2018. Emily will share her personal story and advocate for responsible decision-making among youth.
According to the National Safety Council, 617 people died in motor vehicle crashes over the July 4th holiday in 2023 with alcohol/drug impairment a factor in 38% of those deaths—the highest percentage among all major holidays. Drivers aged 21 to 34 accounted for 48% of alcohol-related fatalities, highlighting the need for targeted prevention.