DWI checkpoints in two Jersey Shore towns for Halloween weekend

TRENTON — As many celebrate Halloween this weekend with spirits in the form of an alcoholic beverage, several law enforcement agencies will set up sobriety checkpoints around the state.

State Police said they will be stopping drivers on Saturday in the area of Belmar and Neptune. No specific location or time was disclosed for the checkpoint.

Police said it's part of an effort to keep roads safe and reduce crashes attributed to driving while under the influence.

"Troopers will be looking for signs of impairment due to alcohol or drugs. If you plan on drinking, have a designated driver, arrange for transportation or stay where you are. It’s not worth the risk of hurting or killing yourself, a friend, a loved one, or innocent motorist," State Police wrote on their Facebook page.

The Monmouth County DWI Task Force will have a sobriety checkpoint on westbound Newman Springs Road in Red Bank all weekend in the parking lot of the Salvation Army, according to the Asbury Park Press. The checkpoint will operate Friday night at 10 p.m. until Sunday at 2 a.m., according to the report.

A checkpoint will also operate on Saturday and Sunday at an undisclosed time and place in Chester, according to the Morris County Prosecutor's Office.

State Police said that impaired and aggressive driving can be reported by dialing #77 from anywhere. They ask that you be able to give a description of the vehicle and occupants, a location and direction, and a license plate if possible.

The U.S. Supreme Court in 1990 ruled that “the interest in reducing alcohol-impaired driving was sufficient to justify the brief intrusion of a sobriety checkpoint. If conducted properly, sobriety checkpoints do not constitute illegal search and seizure in most states,” according to the state Attorney General’s website.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com