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 White Plains, NY - Westchester County Legislator Peter Harckham (D, Katonah) is calling for the Board of Legislators to adopt vehicle forfeiture for DWI convictions in Westchester County.
The matter will be discussed at a joint meeting of the Legislation and the Public Safety & Security Committees at the County Board on Monday, July 28 at 1:30 PM.
“Arrests for DWI have risen steadily since 2002. On the one hand, police are doing a better job of enforcement. On the other hand, it indicates to me that people are not getting the message that it is not OK to drive while under the influence. We need a stronger deterrent,” said Harckham. “Too often police are arresting the same people for DWI on multiple occasions. We can’t wait for them to kill somebody before they get the message.”
Harckham said he was motivated in part to press the measure by the death of his friend’s son who was killed by a drunk driver. The same driver was arrested a few weeks later in another DWI accident that seriously injured another person.
Both Nassau and Suffolk Counties currently have DWI forfeiture laws and New York City utilizes provisions of its Administrative Code to enforce vehicle forfeiture. After initial challenges and subsequent modifications, the Courts have ruled these forfeitures to be lawful and constitutional.
William Burton (D, Ossining), Chair of the Legislation Committee, said, “This is an extremely important issue for the people of Westchester. We’ll strive to address the measure by the end of the year.”
Vito Chair of the Committee on The Public Safety & Security Committee Chair Vito Pinto (D, Tuckahoe) commented, “The Board takes the safety of the traveling public very seriously. I look forward to this discussion.”
The County Board examined the issue a few years ago but no action was taken at the time.
The joint meeting on Monday, July 28th at 1:30 PM will take place in the McPoland Conference Room on the 8th floor of the County Office Building in White Plains.
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