SMITHTOWN - Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, Police Commissioner Richard Dormer and the office of Sheriff Vincent DeMarco announced plans today to crack down on drunk drivers this holiday season.

Levy and Dormer highlighted the police department’s “Operation Safe Holiday” initiative that begins this evening and will include stepped-up DWI checkpoints in all seven precincts as well as increased patrols at high-crash locations. The sheriff's office announced plans for an increase in targeted DWI patrols on the Long Island Expressway and Sunrise Highway as well as unannounced random DWI checkpoints throughout the holiday season.

“If you are drunk and get behind the wheel this holiday season,” said Levy, “you should expect to be arrested. The county executive noted that the police department has made more than 20,000 DWI arrests during his administration.

Levy pointed out that Thanksgiving is the most heavily traveled holiday period—the U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that over 90% of Americans will travel by car to reach their destination during that period. Sadly, the county executive added, Thanksgiving is also the deadliest holiday period.

Levy and Dormer also announced that up to 15 officers will be taken from non-patrol duties and placed on foot patrol duty at major shopping malls and selected downtown areas on Black Friday—the day after Thanksgiving—to monitor the activity of shoppers and to assist with crowd control if necessary.

In additional news, Levy and Dormer reported that 90 members of Suffolk’s auxiliary police force have been trained to enforce handicapped-parking zone laws. The volunteer officers received six hours of training and will be using newly supplied digital cameras that will allow them to monitor and record violations more readily during evening hours and inclement weather at various locations in Suffolk’s five western towns. The auxiliary officers will take two photos at each location where there is a violation—one of the license plate, the other showing posted signs and/or pavement markings. Tickets are then mailed to the registered owners of the vehicles.