POUGHKEEPSIE – Reckless driving has been on the rise in the City of Poughkeepsie since the arrival of the pandemic and the New York State Police are arriving to help the city crack down on bad drivers.
In March and April, Chief Tom Pape had his officers cut back on traffic stops for minor violations, out of safety for his officers. As more drivers began returning to the roadways in May, aggressive driving became noticeable on Poughkeepsie’s streets, including both the east and westbound arterials. Chief Pape and Mayor Rob Rolison said at that time that “The soft-approach is over,” and had the police traffic division return to enforcing all vehicle and traffic violations.
On Monday night, Rolison told the common council that the New York State Police, by request of Chief Pape, had begun traffic enforcement on both arterials, beginning last Friday. “Having the Troopers working traffic on the arterials allows us to free up our traffic units and move them into neighborhoods where cars, motorcycles, ATVs, and other vehicles have become problematic. We are re-doubling down on our efforts to enforce vehicle and traffic laws,” said Rolison.
The City of Poughkeepsie Police have written 1,314 traffic tickets from January through August, according to Rolison. The mayor called it a “substantial decrease” over 2019.
The city has received Police Traffic Services (PRS) grant funding from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee to help offset costs associated with enforcing traffic safety laws.
NEWS STORY PROVIDED BY: Mid Hudson News -www.midhudsonnews.com