If you were heading to a barbecue or parade during the Memorial Day weekend, you were a lot safer, thanks to a concerted effort by police to pull drunken drivers off the road. In Amityville, the effort resulted in the arrest of 10 people who were charged with driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. In addition, more than 100 summonses were issued to drivers for a variety of violations, including speeding and reckless driving.

"As a result of the great work by our officers, the streets of Amityville were made a lot safer over the holiday weekend," said Police Chief Don Dobby. "Memorial Day is considered the kick off for summer and this kind of enforcement helps to set the right frame of mind, which is that we want everyone to have a good time but they can't put their responsibilities aside."

The safety offensive is part of a larger project the Amityville Police Department will undertake funded by a New York State Highway Safety grant. It will start by targeting certain trouble and high-accident-rate areas, with a concentration of existing police patrols. Adding additional police officers during critical hours of the day and night will follow that, said he.

"Not only will this additional enforcement help make our roads safer but it will also address problems of petty theft, vandalism and other minor crimes in the Village," said Dobby.

In Suffolk County, a similar effort during the holiday weekend resulted in approximately 55 arrests, while Nassau Police arrested approximately 109 people for driving while intoxicated. When you consider the size of the Village- about 2.5 square miles- and the number of residents, the ten arrests made in the Village represents a significantly high percentage of arrests per square mile and capita.

Mayor Peter T. Imbert applauded the work of the police during the holiday weekend.

"I am very proud of the Chief and the way in which he is directing his department to tackle these important issues and the officers for the job they are doing," said Imbert. "The object is to make Amityville and its residents safer and that is what they have done."