Deputies from the Shelby County, Tipton, and Fayette County Sheriff’s Offices joined with ten other law enforcement agencies in a traffic safety initiative last Friday night, June 1, 2007.

Officers were in a “zero-tolerance” mode for motorists speeding, driving recklessly, or driving impaired by alcohol and other drugs. Additionally, officers checked for people not wearing seatbelts, especially infants and children not strapped in car or booster seats.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol checked Driver’s Licenses at Highway 51 at the Tipton County Line from 8 p.m. through 10 p.m. Other traffic checkpoints began at 8 p.m. and concluded at 11 p. m.

The checkpoint locations were:

• Rosemark Road at Tipton County line
• Highway 64 at the Fayette County line
• Highway 57 at the Fayette County line

“The highways leading into Shelby County from Fayette and Tipton Counties were constructed decades ago. These routes are now heavily traveled by motorists as a result of new neighborhoods and business districts in Shelby, Tipton and Fayette Counties,” said Shelby County Sheriff Mark H. Luttrell, Jr.

Total Citations issued: 381

Breakdown of the Citations:

• Seatbelt Violations: 141
• Child Restraint Law: 44
• Speeding and other violations: 196

Eighteen people were arrested:

• Twelve were driving on a Suspended Driver’s License
• Two had marijuana and illegal prescription drugs in their vehicle
• One person was arrested who might be connected to a recent armed robbery in Fayette County
• Three others were arrested for minor, non-traffic related offenses

Officers say they were pleased with how motorists complied with traffic laws.

“All law enforcement agencies involved in the safety effort last Friday night noted the majority of motorists that passed through the checkpoints had on their seatbelts. We were pleased to see drivers and their passengers buckled up,” added Sheriff Luttrell.

Here are the agencies that participated in the traffic safety initiative:

• Shelby County Sheriff’s Office
• Tipton County Sheriff’s Office
• Fayette County Sheriff’s Office
• Tennessee Highway Patrol
• Tennessee Department of Transportation-Highway Response Help Trucks
• Atoka Police Department
• Collierville Police Department
• Covington Police Department
• Memphis Police Department
• Millington Police Department
• Munford Police Department
• Oakland Police Department
• Piperton Police Department

The tri-county saturation was the result of a request from the Atoka Police Department. The chief of the Atoka department asked for assistance from Shelby County deputies to conduct an enforcement effort. The project was then expanded to include the other agencies in Shelby, Tipton and Fayette Counties.

The tri-county initiative, funded by the Governor’s Highway Safety Office, was part of other traffic initiatives conducted by law enforcement officers across America. The nationwide “Click-it or Ticket” initiative by law enforcement agencies began May 21st and continues through June 3rd.