100 Del. officers join revamped effort to curb impaired driving

About 100 police officers across the state of Delaware have been sworn in to take part in an initiative to curb impaired driving.

The regional Checkpoint Strikeforce (“CPSF”) effort has been running for 15 years; however, the Delaware Office of Highway Safety (“OHS”) says state-led checkpoints have been primarily based in New Castle County.

Lisa Flowers, community relations officer for OHS, says the new model will have two DUI checkpoints in New Castle, one in Kent, and two in Sussex all in one night.

“We will be announcing the areas of the checkpoints but not specifically the checkpoints in an effort to make people stop and think ‘Hey, do I really want to go out and drink and drive because I could be stopped? Or even worse, I could hurt someone or myself?” Explains Flowers.

OHS reports so far in 2016, there have been more than 1,800 arrests and dozen fatalities in Delaware attributed to impaired driving. This is a painful fact for Colleen Sheehey-Church, who knows this kind of loss.

Sheehey-Church, who is from Connecticut, now serves as national President of Mothers Against Drunk Driving  (“MADD”). Her son 18-year-old Dustin was killed in July 2004 after getting into a car with a driver allegedly under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

“I saw the officers standing at the door and the only thing I said was “which one?” because we have two sons…and when he said “Dustin”, the only thing I remember is dropping to my knees.” Sheehey-Church recalls.

She tells 47 ABC, she’s relieved to see Delaware taking a state-wide stance.

Patrolman Cory Swan joined the Milford Police Department this year and was one of the law enforcement officers sworn in on Thursday.

“It’s been something that has been true to my heart, DUI’s a huge impact and problem in Delaware and we just need to crack down on it,” Patrolman Swan says.

Flowers admits changes won’t happen overnight.

“The only thing we can do is educate and enforce the laws,” she says. “Change comes about through laws.”

For MADD, that’s steering the state in the right direction.

“You catch one person, you have no idea how many lives it saves around it, so very important,” Sheehey-Church says.

OHS says the checkpoints will begin next Thursday and last through December.

To watch 47ABC’s full interview with Sheehey-Church, click here.