Galesburg Police Department Amps up Enforcement for Independence Day

The Galesburg Police Department will be increasing the number of officers out on patrol to watch for drunk drivers and unbuckled drivers this holiday season.Lieutenant Russell Idle says they will have one or two more officers out on the streets than normal. The crackdown will start on June 22nd and continue through July 5th.

Lieutenant Idle tells WGIL that the increase comes from a grant they received from the Illinois Department of Transportation.

“Well we have a grant that had been provided by the Illinois Department of Transportation to provide officers to come back and work overtime to conduct traffic enforcement for impaired driving and occupant restraint violations,” says Idle. “So we’ll have beefed up patrols on the streets to enforce those safety laws.”

The crackdown is part of a statewide effort in conjunction with “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” and the “Click it or Ticket” campaigns.

The time period was designated by IDOT, due to the increased number of injuries because of vehicle crashes. Idle says this holiday causes an increased risk of danger for crashes due to the nicer weather and increased number of cars on the streets.

Idle says if you plan to go out and celebrate the holiday, make sure everyone is wearing a seat belt, slow down, and designate a sober driver.