Thursday, October 1, 2026
More than 31,000 impaired driving arrests were made across New York State in 2024, according to the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research.
Long Beach’s 35,000 residents — a 2024 U.S. Census Bureau estimate — are no strangers to the effects of impaired driving. On March 11, a 36-year-old Long Beach native was arrested on Long Beach Road in Island Park by Nassau County Police officers. Officers claimed she was intoxicated, per a press release, and accused of allegedly resisting arrest.
Between 2014 and May 2025, the Long Beach Police Department made over 1,200 arrests related to impaired driving. Richard DePalma, Long Beach’s police commissioner, said the battle against impaired driving is multifaceted and thanked county police for their continued efforts on Long Beach’s borders.
“We work together to heavily enforce statutes and laws with respect to impaired driving,” DePalma said, noting their vehicular crimes unit. “Our partnership with them is valued.”
Each year, Nassau County district attorney Anne T. Donnelly gives more than $30,000 in grant money to the Long Beach Police Department before the summer months. The funds help provide training on field sobriety tests, breath analysis and drug recognition.
The department also receives grant money from Long Beach Aware to provide classes for underage drinkers. When asked about the dangers of drunk driving, Executive Director Judi Vining urged people not to drive impaired.
“The only time you can make the decision to drive is before you have a drink,” Vining said.
Regarding substances like marijuana, DePalma said an officer in the department is undergoing Drug Recognition Expert training. The three-step training program involves nine days of academic training related to physiology and vital signs. The program then includes a 56-hour training course that covers drug evaluation procedures and legal issues. Lastly, the officer undergoes field training, where they are required to identify people under the influence of at least three drug categories.
With dozens of businesses in Long Beach holding a state liquor license, DePalma said that the department visits them annually and reminds them of the penalties for overserving, including the suspension or rescinding of a liquor license.
At a recent Atlantic Beach board of trustees meeting, residents were reminded of a car accident in December involving an impaired driver. The driver left a nearby beach club while allegedly intoxicated and under the influence of Delta-9-THC and collided with another vehicle.
Atlantic Beach residents, representing a main route into Long Beach from the west, questioned Long Beach’s approach to impaired driving. When asked about the accident, DePalma said that there are dozens of marinas, restaurants and beach clubs that operate all along the barrier island. He added that while the accident was not a result of a Long Beach business, it did highlight the sensitivity of the issue.
“Impaired driving is an issue that goes far beyond Long Beach,” DePalma said. “Always have a plan when you go out — one wrong decision can hurt someone else.”
