Alcohol Task Force to Conduct DUI Checkpoints

With students returning and Penn State set to begin classes on Monday, the Centre County Alcohol Task Force will be conducting DUI checkpoints and roving patrols throughout the fall semester.

The first checkpoint of the semester is scheduled for Friday.

‘As the fall semester begins, the Centre County Alcohol Task Force would like to remind students and residents that our officers are dedicated to keeping our streets clear of impaired drivers,’ a task force news release said. ‘You’ll never know where the next detail may be, so we remind you to always plan a safe way home.’

The task force is comprised of officers from Ferguson Township, Patton Township, Spring Township, State College, Penn State and the Centre County Sheriff’s Office all working in collaboration to enforce drug- and alcohol-related vehicle crime.

Established in 2007, the task force is funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration through PennDOT. The task force is operating on a $40,000 grant between 2018 and 2020, the lowest amount since its inception, Ferguson Township Sgt. Ryan Hendrick, who coordinates the task force, said last year. Because funding is based on need for resources, the lower funding is indicative of fewer DUIs in the area. Hendrick said at the time DUI arrests resulting from task force details had decreased from 65 in 2014 to 40 in 2018.