MD State Police To Conduct St. Patrick's Day Patrols For 2022

MARYLAND — State troopers will be patrolling Maryland roads this week in force due to the St. Patrick's Day holiday. They will be concentrating on areas known for higher numbers of DUI crashes or arrests now through Sunday, March 20, police said in a statement Tuesday.

Each of the 23 Maryland State Police barracks will focus on impaired, aggressive and distracted driving, with patrols bolstered by funding from the Maryland Department of Transportation and Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office targeting impaired drivers.

Here are some of the specific initiatives in place for St. Patrick's Day, according to Maryland State Police:

• Troopers from the Bel Air Barrack are partnering with the Harford County Traffic Task Force to target the Bel Air area, with high-visibility enforcement on state roads around Bel Air.
• North East Barrack troopers will be looking for impaired drug-impaired drivers along US 40 in Cecil County.
• Throughout Wicomico County, troopers from Salisbury and Berlin Barracks are coordinating with partners in the county and the lower Eastern Shore for the “Border to Border” unity enforcement effort. "Border to Border" refers to Maryland State Police working with allied agencies in the surrounding states of Virginia and Delaware, police said in a statement to Patch.
• The Forestville Barrack will conduct high-visibility enforcement initiatives targeting speeding, distracted driving and seatbelt violators.
• In Western Maryland, troopers from the Cumberland Barrack will focus manpower on DUI enforcement through the weekend, with an emphasis on previously identified high crash and impaired driving areas.

Police said they will partner with other agencies and provide outreach through social media and billboards to raise awareness.

"'The Leprechauns made me do it' is not an excuse for impaired driving," the Maryland State Highway Safety Office posted on Twitter. “Make a plan to arrive home safely before your St. Patrick’s Day celebration begins.”