By DEBBIE ROSEN
Police beefed up patrols across the precinct during the week of Nov. 21-28, issuing some 300 tickets to drivers whose passengers did not buckle up for safety. Under a new state law, anyone under the age of 16 must be harnessed with a seat belt or the driver of the vehicle is served with a ticket, carrying a fine up to $75 dollars. Originally, only children under 11 had to be buckled up in the rear seat.
As police in Oceanside on that cold dark night Monday, Nov. 27 pulled car after car into the TJ Maxx Shopping Center, many wondered why such a crackdown and why so many police officers in one spot. "People should come to an accident scene and see what happens when seat belts are not worn," said Police Officer Carl Triolo. "We have a group of officers out here tonight because you could say there is safety in numbers," he added.
According to Dominick Stanganelli, Fourth Precinct command level training officer, police will be showing up in high traffic areas all over the neighborhoods across the precinct. The effort is aimed at bringing awareness to the new seat belt law, in effect since last February.
While the state passed the new law in February, the state legislature allows for a six-month period to pass before police can issue tickets. The time, Officer Stanganelli said, gives the public time to become familiar with the new requirements, a warning period.
"We try to target high traffic areas, places where we can make the greatest presence and impact on the most people the need to be safe by wearing a seat belt," said Officer Stanganelli.
While at times a single officer may run a seat belt check, at times a dozen may take on the same task. If officers are available to be on detail for the assignment, police said drivers are less likely to argue with a handful of officers as opposed to a single patrolman. The issue is one of officer availability. Some officers may be called off the assignment for one of higher priority, such as a robbery in progress.
While the police intend to continue to conduct seat belt checks, Officer Stanganelli said patrols noticed most people are in compliance and aware of the new state law. For drivers and passenger caught unbuckled, the amount driver's will pay is up to the judge's discretion. "If a judge hears a driver say this is my child and I should decide if he or she is to wear a seat belt, the fine may be different than a mom who tells the judge she instructed her child to buckle up and the child refused to listen," said Officer Stanganelli.
