Special initiatives have raised motorists' awareness to driving and traffic safety

Members of the Patrol Services Division patrol the:

• Saw Mill River Parkway
• Bronx River Parkway
• Hutchinson River Parkway
• Cross County Parkway

Parkway patrols keep commuters safe and traffic moving effectively. Officers conduct education and enforcement initiatives designed to minimize the loss of life, injuries and property damage caused by traffic accidents, dangerous driving practices and impaired motorists.
 

PSD officers collectively drive over one million miles each year in order to maintain the level of service on which Westchester commuters rely. In addition to routine patrols, special initiatives have raised motorist safety to an even greater level.

• The Crash Reduction Unit (CRU) supplements regular patrol units by specifically addressing accident-prone locations. Funded by a grant from the State of New York Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, the CRU uses both high- and low-profile patrols to deter aggressive and distracted driving that often contributes to motor vehicle accidents. Since the inception of the CRU, its presence and assertive enforcement efforts have paid off, resulting in a reduction of motor vehicles accidents.
   
• The Patrol Services Division (PSD) conducts various initiatives that focus on perennial threats to public safety on the parkways, including DWI, speeding and other aggressive driving, and the use of hand-held cell phones.  DWI arrests have steadily risen over the years due to increased officer training to recognize drivers that may be impaired by alcohol or drugs. Creative initiatives on the part of PSD include targeted patrol enforcement and sobriety checkpoints.
  
  Assisted by funding from the department’s Office of Drug Prevention and STOP-DWI, experienced PSD officers often assist local police departments with DWI enforcement. The officers of the Patrol Services Division have a zero-tolerance policy for drivers who put themselves and the public at risk by driving while impaired.