Chesapeake Beach, MD: On Friday, April 13, 2007, at 4:22 PM members of the Maryland State Police (Barrack “U”) and the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office initiated a sobriety checkpoint on MD Rt. 261 near the North Beach Volunteer Fire Department, Chesapeake Beach. The sobriety checkpoint was conducted for 1 hour and 5 minutes. A total of 427 vehicles were contacted. One of these drivers had been drinking but was not impaired to the level to warrant arrest. The vast majority of the drivers contacted expressed appreciation and support for our efforts. During this checkpoint, we distributed a pamphlet reaffirming the value of wearing seatbelts and properly using safety seats for our younger passengers.
The men and women of the Maryland State Police and the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office want to remind our citizens that April is “Alcohol Awareness Month”. We will continue to employ “Checkpoint Strikeforce” strategies such as sobriety checkpoints and DUI saturation patrols in April and throughout the balance of the year. Drug and alcohol related crashes occur at all times of the day and night. Last April’s tragic impaired driver double-fatal crash confirms this fact. This horrific crash occurred at 7:45 on a Monday morning. Motorists should not be surprised if they observe aggressive enforcement efforts at unusual times and locations. Since these tragic crashes occur “anytime and anywhere” the Maryland State Police and the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office will employ the same approach to locate and arrest impaired drivers before they cause injury or death.
Finally, the Maryland State Police and the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office support the “Chief’s Challenge”, “Click-it or Ticket” and “Buckle-Up America” campaigns. These are initiatives designed to convince those motorists (and passengers) that chose not to buckle up to start doing so. Wearing seatbelts and ensuring that your children are properly secured in their safety seats will reduce injuries and will significantly increase your chance of surviving a crash. We can not make you wear your seatbelt but we can stop you for not doing so. Please buckle-up!
Contact Lieutenant H. R. Rich (410/535-1400), Sergeant B. McCourt (410/535-2800) or Ms. Debbie Jennings (410/535-2200) for further information about sobriety checkpoints or these safety seat/seatbelt compliance initiatives.
