‘Click It or Ticket’ crackdown coming

Courtesy of the Maricopa Police Department

The Maricopa Police Department will join local and national law enforcement officers for the 2011 Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement mobilization from May 23 to June 5.

Officers will be cracking down on motorists who fail to wear their seat belts. According to police, nighttime passenger vehicle occupants are among those least likely to buckle up and most likely to die in crashes when unrestrained.

“That’s why Maricopa Police Department is strongly supporting enhanced nighttime enforcement of seat belt laws during the Click It or Ticket campaign,” said Chief Kirk Fitch. “We will be out in force to remind drivers and occupants to always wear their seat belts – both day and night.”

High-visibility enforcement such as the Click It or Ticket mobilization is credited with increasing the national seat belt usage rate from 58 percent in 1994 to an observed usage rate of 85 percent in 2010.

Take 25 event

On May 25, National Missing Children’s Day, from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the police department, staff will hand out identification kits and display photos of missing children. MPD will also distribute Take 25 materials to schools and the Maricopa Public Library, encouraging parents and guardians to talk about safety with their children.

For more information, call the Maricopa Police Department at 520-316-6880.

Memorial Day weekend DUI enforcement

From May 27 through May 29, MPD will be conducting saturation patrols in Maricopa.

These patrols will be focused on finding and arresting drivers who are impaired by alcohol or drugs. The enforcement details will begin each evening at 7 p.m. and continue well past midnight.

If you are planning on consuming any alcoholic beverages, please find a designated driver or find alternate transportation. If you have any questions regarding Arizona’s DUI laws, contact Sgt. Tim Truett at 520-251-2936.