Undersheriff John Winchell
399 Broadway
Fort Edward, NY 12828
518-746-2475
518-746-2483
Interested in hosting a display? Reach out to your local STOP-DWI Coordinator. Traveling Exhibits – STOP-DWI
On Friday, January 17, 2020, the Rutland County Sheriff’s Department held one of the biggest enforcement events covering two States. This involved law enforcement Agencies from Vermont and New York.
The participating Agencies are:
Vermont State Police Shaftsbury
Woodstock Police Department
Killington Police Department
Castleton Police Department
Fair Haven Police Department
Poultney Constable
Rutland County Sheriff’s Department
New York State Police – Granville New York
Washington County Sheriff’s Department – New York
Addison County Sheriff’s Department
Vergennes Police Department
Windsor County Sheriff’s Department
Bennington County Sheriff’s Department
Bennington Police Department
Manchester Police Department
Winhall Police Department
During this enforcement the following actions took place:
Vehicles Stopped – 371
Speeding Tickets – 163
DUI Arrests – 3
Criminal Driving Under Suspension – 2
Attempting to Elude – 1
People Screened – 9
Civil Suspension – 10
Child Restraint Violations -2
Seat Belt Violations – 5
Possessing or Consuming Alcohol -5
Open Container (Alcohol) – 5
Cell Phone Violations- 4
Seat Belt Violations – 5
Other Tickets Issued – 33
Warnings – 180
This enforcement was focused on the area of Route 4 (Fair Haven to Killington) and Route 22A across the borders. The other focus was on Route 7 from Bennington to Brandon. The focus was to provide consistent enforcement over an area of roughly one hundred and fifty miles on a busy Friday night.
Studies show that driving behavior changes for roughly five hundred to one thousand feet after seeing a law enforcement Officer and then people return to their normal driving habits of speeding, using electronic devices and aggressive driving. Once people feel there is no law enforcement presence, they tend to exhibit driving behaviors that are not consistent with the law. This is not the situation for everyone, but it is likely in most driving behavior.
Law Enforcement Officers would rather write a ticket than deliver a death message on any given day.
This enforcement event provides consistent enforcement to let people know driving is a full time job. We don’t need any more needless fatalities on our highways and the motoring public can make a difference. In Vermont and other States we are working towards zero deaths on our highways. Can you help us reach our goal?
STATE OF VERMONT, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, VERMONT STATE POLICE, PRESS RELEASE, CROSS BORDER/ JOINT AGENCY TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT DETAIL
On Friday, July 5, 2019, between 2100 and 0200 hours, Troopers from the Shaftsbury Barracks participated in a Cross Border/ Joint Agency Traffic Enforcement Detail.
The Detail consisted of a Safety and Sobriety Checkpoint on VT RT 279 W (NY/ VT border) where Troopers encountered 449 vehicles and 1,123 occupants between the hours of 2100-0000 hours. During the checkpoint, Troopers also performed several high visibility Saturation Patrols throughout Bennington County between 2100-0200 hours.
For this detail, Troopers joined forces with members of the following agencies: New York State Police, Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Department, Washington County Sheriff’s Department, Hoosick Falls Police Department, Bennington County Sheriff’s Department, Bennington Police Department. Law Enforcement Officers from the above agencies focused their enforcement efforts on identifying and arresting impaired drivers. Additional goals of the Detail were to encourage safe driving behavior through speed enforcement, enforcing distracted driving laws, and proactive criminal enforcement.
While on patrol, Law Enforcement Officers from the above agencies initiated:
94 Traffic Stops
42 VCVC’s (tickets)
58 Written Warnings
5 DUI Arrests
16 Operators Screened for DUI
6 Total Arrests
5 Consent Search’s
3 OSC Violations (Operating under Civil Suspension)
2 Seat Belt Violations
3 Marijuana VCVC’s (Civil)
The Vermont State Police plan to continue joint traffic enforcement details with other agencies in the future in an attempt to reduce traffic crashes, apprehend impaired drivers, and promote traffic safety.
Washington County STOP-DWI hosted a STOP-DWI Grant Funded training: John Kwasnoski’s “Courtroom Testimony”. Officers from Albany, Saratoga, Herkimer, Warren and Washington Counties were in attendance. Thank you to my fellow coordinators for sending your officers to this worthwhile training. Also thank you to 1st ADA Morris for his time this morning and adding viewpoint from the Prosecution.
On Friday, January 18, 2019, multiple Agencies from across the State of Vermont and New York focused on a saturation patrol focusing on areas where traffic is often heavy and crash data is prevalent.
The participating Agencies were:
Vermont State Police – Rutland
Vermont State Police – Shaftsbury
Vermont State Police – Bethel
Bennington Police Department
Woodstock Police Department
Rutland City Police Department
Castleton Police Department
Fair Haven Police Department
Rutland County Sheriff’s Department
Vergennes Police Department
Addison County Sheriff’s Department
New York State Police Granville
Washington County NY Sheriff’s Department
This enforcement was focused on the area of Route 4 and Route 22A across the borders, with the goal of providing consistent enforcement over an area of roughly one hundred miles on a busy Friday night before the long Martin Luther King Weekend. Route 7 from Bennington to Addison County was covered by our law enforcement partners listed above.
Studies show that driving behavior changes for roughly five hundred to one thousand feet after seeing a law enforcement Officer and then drivers return to their normal driving habits of speeding, using electronic devices, aggressive driving and failing to mover over for emergency vehicles on the side of the road. Once people feel there is no law enforcement presence, they tend to exhibit poor driving behaviors that are not consistent with the law. Therefore, the hope is that seeing so many Law Enforcement Officers out along the busy Route 4 and Route 7 corridor will significantly change the behaviors of the motoring public. The goal of the enforcement was to reach beyond State and County lines.
No one enjoys receiving a ticket, but Law Enforcement Officers would much rather write a ticket to save a life than deliver a tragic death notification.
During the enforcement, the following actions were taken by the two States:
265 Vehicles Stopped
3 DUI Arrests
2 Criminal DLS arrest
I Felony Possession Marijuana
1 Impeding Law Enforcement Officer
1 Aggravated Assault Law Enforcement Officer
1 Resisting Arrest
1 Assault Protected Worker
1 Attempting to Elude
1 Felony in Possession of Weapon
1 Excessive Speed Arrest
98 Speeding Violations
5 Portable Electronic Device
5 People Operating Under Civil Suspension
3 Seat Belt Violations
1 Child Restraint Violation
1 Fail to Move Over for Emergency Vehicles
5 Preliminary Screenings for DUI
3 Searches for Narcotics
This enforcement event provided consistent enforcement to let people know driving is a full-time job. We don’t need any more senseless fatalities on our highways and the motoring public can make a difference. Vermont and other States are working towards zero deaths on our highways, and you can be part of the solution.
On May 25, 2018, between 1600 and 2330 hours, Troopers from the Rutland Barracks participated in a Cross Border/ Joint Agency Traffic Enforcement Detail and Sobriety Check Point. Vermont State Troopers joined forces with the New York State Police, Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Fairhaven Police Department to conduct a highly visible traffic enforcement detail.
The goal of the operation was to encourage safe driving behavior during the upcoming holiday by focusing on speed enforcement, use of portable electronic devices/ distracted driving laws, proactive criminal enforcement and DUI enforcement.
While on patrol, Law Enforcement Officers from the above agencies initiated 101 traffic stops, writing 44 tickets and 66 warnings. 1 operator was arrested for DUI, several others were brought through Standard Field Sobriety Tests (SFST’s), but were found to be under the legal limit of .08% BAC. 2 other individuals were arrested for drug offenses.
During the Sobriety Check Point, Law Enforcement Officers made contact with 122 vehicles. 1 operator was arrested for DUI, several others were brought through standard Field Sobriety Tests (SFST’s), but were found to be under the legal limit of .08% BAC. Several other motorists were found to have been designated drivers.
The Vermont State Police plan to continue joint traffic enforcement details with other agencies in the future.
New York’s STOP-DWI program is the Nations’ first and, to date, only self-sustaining impaired driving program. Other States have implemented components of self-sufficiency, but none to the degree of New York State.
