By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Saturday, December 14, 1991
The Record (New Jersey) | All Editions | NEWS | Page A01
More than 200 law enforcement vehicles were ordered onto the streets and highways of Bergen County on Friday night in a 12-hour campaign to get drunken drivers off the road.
Operation Eagle was launched at 6 p.m. and involved all divisions of the Bergen County Public Safety Department, the state police, and officers from each of the county’s 70 towns. It was the brainchild of John Pescatore, director of the county’s Highway Safety Office.
“The eagle may have landed on Friday the 13th, but the feathers will be flying for a long time to come,” Pescatore said, because the crackdown is to continue into January.
The effort’s cost will be covered through fines levied against people convicted of driving drunk, not by the taxpayers, Pescatore said.
The state police established a sobriety checkpoint in Rutherford, and 15 troopers were deployed on Interstates 80 and 95 and routes 3, 4, 17, and 208.
The Bergen County Police Department had 20 cars in the field; the Prosecutor’s Office 15. “DWI Task Force” decals were displayed on the vehicles.
Bergen County Prosecutor John J. Fahy said deterrence was the main focus. He said people tend to drink more during the holiday season, especially on weekends.
“If we end up with no arrests, I will be happy, because it would mean that we’ve had an impact,” Fahy said.
ID: 17363605 | Copyright © 1991, The Record (New Jersey)
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