Enhanced Traffic Enforcement Efforts A Success Combined Efforts lead to 18 Arrests, Including 5 OUI’s

On the evening of Friday, October 19, 2012 the Reading Police Department teamed up with the Wilmington Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police’s Community Action Team to conduct a joint traffic enforcement initiative.

The joint effort was aimed at enforcement of traffic safety violations in the Reading- Wilmington area. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), speed, seat belt and impaired operator violations are among the top contributors to roadway fatalities. In 2010 alone more than 10,000 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes nationwide. The goal of the local initiative was to educate the public and enforce violations through hi-visibility saturation patrols.

Between 6:00 P.M. and 2:00 A.M., additional officers and troopers were called in for duty and assigned to traffic enforcement patrols. The joint effort results in 175 citations issued, 17 towed vehicles, and 18 arrests, 5 of which were for OUI.

Reading’s Chief James W. Cormier was pleased with the outcome. Chief Cormier said, “We are pleased to report that our recent teamwork with Wilmington Police and the State Police was a success. This joint initiative is just a small part of the ongoing efforts to reduce the frequency and severity of motor vehicle accidents in our communities. We plan to collaborate with our partner agencies for more enhanced traffic initiatives in the near future.”