The Express Newspaper September 22, 2016

Heroin is the Drug of Choice – by H. Wessell

BALLSTON SPA, February 18– The Saratoga County Sheriff’s Department has devoted much attention to heroin abuse, which has become a nationwide epidemic. That includes our area.

The Sheriff’s Department continues to face the epidemic through backing tougher laws.

At the County Public Safety Committee meeting early this month, Sheriff Michael Zurlo  asked the full board to go on record with other municipalities  to support Laree’s Law. This is named for an 18 year old Colonie woman who succumbed to a heroin overdose in 2014.

Read the entire article in the 02-25 Express.

Patriot Guard Salutes Sheriff – by H. Wessell

BALLSTON SPA, October 20: About a dozen representatives of the Patriot Guard Riders organization came to the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors monthly business meeting to present a commendation to Sheriff Michael Zurlo – one that he had not anticipated until shortly before the meeting, he told the Express.

Read the entire article in the Nov. 5th edition.

The Express Newspaper – November 5, 2015

Saratoga Sheriff & Emergency Management – by H. Wessell

BALLSTON SPA, October 22 –  “He and my office work in conjunction with... everything,” stated Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo of the  Director of the Office of Emergency Services,  Carl Zeilman. “We maintain the system, we expand that system, working together,” added Zeilman. “Our offices work together on the pre-planning for the County,” including the new, countywide  Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC), which was created this year.

The entire article is in the Oct. 29th edition.

Sheriff’s Priority: Safety on The Water – by H. Wessell

BALLSTON SPA, June 11 – A government's first duty is to the safety and security of its people.

Keeping people safe, not issuing tickets, is how Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo and his department see it – and any one of them says it, often: "Our biggest thing is safety. We're not just out there to issue tickets or arrest anybody."

Read the entire article in the June 18th edition.

The Express Newspaper June 18, 2015

The Express Newspaper – April 2, 2015

This Fourth of July, ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ by The Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office

The Fourth of July is a favorite holiday for many Americans. Families and friends gather to celebrate our country with food, parades, parties, and fireworks. For many people, the celebration includes alcohol, but the holiday quickly goes from festive to fatal when people choose to drive after drinking. Over the July 4th holiday period in 2012 alone, 78 people were killed in alcohol impaired-driving crashes on our nation’s roads.

To crack down on drunk driving this Fourth of July, The Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office and local and state law enforcement will be out in full force, aggressively targeting those who put lives in danger. The ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ campaign means zero tolerance for drunk driving.

Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA show that 10,322 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes in the United States in 2012 representing a third of all crash fatalities. Data shows that the Fourth of July holiday period is especially deadly. During the July 4th period in 2012 (6 p.m. on July 3 to 5:59 a.m. on July 5), there were 179 people killed in crashes, and 44 percent of those crashes were alcohol-impaired.

In every state, it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher, yet people continue to break the law and drive drunk. According to the FBI, over 1.28 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics in 2012. And the rate of high-BAC impaired driving is astounding. In fatal crashes during the July 4th period in 2012, more than one fourth (28%) involved a driver or motorcycle operator with a BAC of .15 or higher, almost twice the legal limit.

NHTSA data also reveals that 46 percent of young (age 18-34) drivers were drunk (BAC of .08 or higher) while driving in fatal crashes over the July 4th period in 2012(6 p.m. on July 3 to 5:59 a.m. on July 5) Motorcycle operators are also overrepresented as the highest percentage of alcohol impaired drivers in fatal crashes. In 2012, more than one-fourth (27%) of the motorcycle operators in fatal crashes had a BAC of .08 or higher.

Drunk drivers are more common at night, too. Over the July 4th period in 2012, more than a third (39%) of the drivers in nighttime fatal crashes (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.) were alcohol-impaired, as compared to 16 percent of drivers in fatal crashes during the day.