Task force targets
drinking offenses
By josh davidson
Staff Writer

MIDDLETOWN — On two Saturday nights, the Bayshore Task Force set its saturation patrols in motion to find drunk drivers and underage drinkers.

Officers from Aberdeen, Matawan, Middletown and Holmdel took part in the patrols, which began on the evenings of June 28 and July 5.

Officers met at a pre-patrol meeting in Middletown, and were briefed on case law and the purpose of the night, and went back to patrols in their own towns.

No checkpoints were set, and only moving patrols were used.

The shift began at 7 p.m. and ended at 3 a.m.

"It’s a collaboration where all the other departments can help each other," Middletown Sgt. William M. Colangelo said. "When you have this type of collaboration, it’s unlimited what you can accomplish in the end and what you can succeed at."

On June 28, one arrest for driving while intoxicated and five other arrests were made.

With 12 officers on patrol, summonses were issued for 27 moving violations and 31 non-moving violations.

On July 5, two arrests for driving while intoxicated were made. Seven other arrests, including drug offenses, were made, while 38 moving violations and 43 non-moving violations summonses were issued, and 122 vehicles were stopped.

There were 16 officers on patrol on that night.

Since the program began in May, four saturation patrols have taken place. In total, 17 arrests for driving while intoxicated and 19 other arrests have been made, 341 cars have been stopped, and 165 moving and 173 non-moving violations have been issued.

The number of officers assigned to each town is in scale with its size, Colangelo said. For example, since Matawan is a small municipality, only one officer is assigned to it.

"The object is to saturate and make sure every single town in the Bayshore area is doing it at the same time," he said.

This leaves a physical presence and pressure on drivers to know the odds of being pulled over for driving while intoxicated is great, he said.

If assistance is needed to conduct a Breathalyzer test, a town could call on another town for help, he said.

Aside from catching drunk drivers, the task force also focused on catching underage drinkers.

"The reason we chose (those) particular weekends is that the majority of the Bayshore towns had their graduations," Colangelo said.

It is not illegal for a child under 21 to drink on private property, according to Colangelo.

"Once they leave and get behind the wheel of a car, that’s the problem," he said.

Minors have been killed in drunk driving accidents over the years, he pointed out.

Early on and throughout the night, of­ficers were told to look for minors pur­chasing alcohol, he said.

"So we can prevent them from hurt­ing themselves," he said.

Drunk drivers are usually not found until 10 p.m., according to Colangelo.

A list of charges can be brought against someone between the ages of 18 and 21 who purchases alcohol, including disorderly persons and underage posses­sion of alcohol, he said. The store may face charges if the minor wasn’t proofed, he noted.

Someone under 18 will be taken into custody and charged on a petition through juvenile courts, he added.

According to Colangelo, the satura­tion patrols give officers a chance to learn.

"It’s an education process in the world of drinking and driving, underage drinking and the narcotics laws," he said.

The Bayshore Task Force formed in 1973 and has special forensic, narcotics and drunk driving prevention officers.

Its Narcotics Strike Force was formed in 1983, when area police chiefs saw the need for more local drug en­forcement, according to Middletown Deputy Chief Joseph Braun.

The strike force is in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and it purchases drugs though undercover offi­cers, identifies dealers and has made thousands of arrests, Braun said.

Residents can report information about drug dealers to an anonymous toll-free tip line, 1-877-BTF-TIPS.