Police Blotter-Aug. 16, 2007

Lambertville

   Aug. 9 at 8:10 a.m., there was a theft at the Leg Up Studio at 2 Mt. Hope St.
   Various items and an undisclosed amount of money were taken.
   Friday at 10:10 a.m., David T. Hargraves, 37, of Trenton was arrested on warrants on Bridge Street.
   A random motor vehicle lookup revealed Mr. Hargraves’ driver’s license and vehicle registration were suspended, police said. He also had two outstanding motor vehicle warrants totaling $1,000 from Hamilton Township Municipal Court, police said.
   He was charged with driving while suspended and having a suspended registration. He posted bail and was released.
   Sunday at 1:56 a.m., police received a complaint of noise coming from a vehicle.
   Stephanie C. Croquez, 35, of Bristol. Pa., was charged with drunken driving and released without bail.
   From Aug. 17 through Sept. 3, law enforcement officers from the Lambertville Police Department will be stepping up impaired driving enforcement as part of New Jersey’s "Over the Limit Under Arrest 2007 Crackdown."
   The summer driving season, which concludes with the Labor Day holiday, is traditionally a time for social gatherings, which often include alcohol. The goal of the program is to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving through high visibility enforcement and to arrest motorists who choose to drive while impaired by drugs or alcohol.
   Impaired drivers kill nearly 18,000 people on the nation’s roads each year. In New Jersey for 2005, 252 of the 748 motor vehicle fatalities, or 34 percent, were alcohol-related.
   The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports nearly 97 percent of Americans view drinking and driving by others as a threat to their families and themselves. Americans support tougher enforcement and rank drunken driving ahead of health care, poverty, the environment and gun control as an important issue.
   Law enforcement agencies participating in the crackdown offer the following advice:
   • Be responsible and don’t risk it; you will be caught.
   • If you plan to drink, choose a designated driver before going out.
   • Realize before going out that every drink you have makes it more difficult to know when you’ve had too much to drive.
   • Take mass transit, a taxicab or a sober friend to drive you home.
   • Spend the night where the activity is held.
   • Report impaired drivers to law enforcement.
   • Always buckle up; it’s your best defense against an impaired driver.
   "The summer season and the Labor Day holiday are a time for fun with friends and family, not tragedy," said Pam Fischer, director of New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, "The law enforcement community and safety organizations of the state are committed to eliminating impaired driving from our roads."