SUFFOLK SHERIFF ANNOUNCES ENHANCED HOLIDAY DWI ENFORCEMENT

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 23, 2025

SUFFOLK SHERIFF ANNOUNCES ENHANCED HOLIDAY DWI ENFORCEMENT

Sheriff’s Office has made 100+ more arrests than in 2024

(SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY): Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr. announced today that Deputy Sheriffs will be increasing their DWI patrols for the Christmas holiday through New Year’s Eve to ensure roadways remain safe as residents ring in the New Year. 

“Our Deputy Sheriffs continue to do an incredible job patrolling for impaired drivers. To date, they have surpassed the previous year’s DWI arrests by over 100 more—making many lifesaving arrests, including those under Leandra’s Law and incidents involving drugs. They are closing the year strong with enhanced DWI enforcement during this critical time so we can all safely celebrate the holidays with friends and family,” said Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr.

The Sheriff’s Office DWI Enforcement Team has made a record number of DWI arrests this year with 311 arrests to date. Included in the arrests so far are 48 aggravated DWI charges (the defendant had a BAC of .18 or higher), 16 arrests involving drivers with prior DWI convictions, 21 arrests involving impairment by drugs and 2 Leandra’s Law arrests.

Leandra’s Law (the Child Passenger Protection Act) is a NYS law making it an automatic felony on the first offense to drive drunk with a person 15 or younger inside the vehicle. The law was named after 11-year-old Leandra Rosado, who was killed on the Henry Hudson Parkway on October 11, 2009, when she was a passenger in a car driven by an intoxicated driver.

Last weekend alone the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office arrested 11 drivers from impaired driving and will continue being on patrol during the holiday season – including checkpoints with partner agencies.   For more information, please reach out to the Public Information Office at SheriffPIO@SuffolkCountyNY.gov