Sgt. Derek Felsman, center, is joined Friday by Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis in announcing Operation Nighthawk, a Pennsylvania State Police-led sweep of DUI suspects in our area.
Patrick Kernan | Times Leader
Click here to subscribe today or Login.
WYOMING — Drinking and driving is never a good idea, but especially not this weekend, as a Pennsylvania State Police enforcement initiative will target DUI drivers throughout northeastern and central Pennsylvania.
The initiative has been dubbed Operation Nighthawk, and will see more than 60 state and municipal police take to the streets throughout this weekend. The operation is being dedicated to the memory of Corporal Bryon K. Dickson II, who was killed six years ago in an ambush attack on Troop R, Blooming Grove, by Eric Frein.
Sgt. Derek Felsman told reporters at a press conference on Friday afternoon that one of two large trucks owned by the PSP that can be outfitted as a mobile phlebotomy lab has been borrowed from the barracks in Harrisburg.
“That eliminates the need for law enforcement officers to take an arrestee into a hospital,” Felsman said. “It helps with social distancing, and it gets the troopers back on the street much, much quicker.”
According to Felsman, Commonwealth Health is providing two phlebotomists to troopers, who will be drawing blood of those suspected of driving under the influence.
Operation Nighthawk comes as a collaboration between PSP, Wilkes-Barre City Police Department and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office.
DA Stefanie Salavantis, who has made stopping DUIs in Luzerne County a signature issue in recent years, was at Friday’s press conference, saying how important it is to prevent those who are drunk or under the influence of other drugs from getting behind the wheel of a car.
“Putting this many troopers out this weekend is a sign, and it’s telling people we will not tolerate this,” Salavantis said.
Salavantis’ office implemented a DUI task force, during her time in office, and she said this task force is an important part of “doing everything in our power to keep our residents safe on the road.”