State police to "surge" Friday; tweet a patrol

MERIDIAN - The summer days between Memorial Day and Labor Day are known as the 100 deadliest days of the year on our state's highways. The Idaho State Police want to change this sad statistic and make Idaho's roads as safe as possible. Public awareness and enhanced patrols have been found to be an effective tool in improving driving safety and reducing crashes.

Therefore, ISP will hold an "All Hands on Deck" operation on Friday, June 27th. "All Hands on Deck" means that all available sworn ISP personnel, even those usually behind a desk or in a specialty assignment, will be on the road to increase patrols on a typical busy summer day.

"'All Hands on Deck' is designed to increase patrols on the busiest travel days of the year to give our citizens added safety on the roads," says Lt. Colonel Kedrick Wills. "This summer so far has been deadly on Idaho's highways. Since Memorial Day weekend, there have been 9 fatal crashes on Idaho's highways. ISP is committed to preventing crashes, injuries and deaths. Frequently, it is the sighting of a patrol car that makes people not only slow down, but obey other traffic laws as well. Therefore, all commissioned troopers available to work on Friday will be out patrolling Idaho's roadways."

ISP will combine the operation with increased public awareness of driving safety by participating in the Global Police Tweet-a-thon. The Global Police Tweet-a-thon is a twice a year event that lasts for 24 hours in each time zone. Each agency participating uses the hashtag #PolTwt. The first police tweet-a-thon happened in March of 2013 connecting law enforcement around the world and building relationships between police and the citizens they serve.

ISP will participate by "tweeting the beat" with a trooper on the road between the hours beginning on Friday at 1:00 p.m. and ending on Saturday at 12:00 a.m. The public can ride shotgun with the Idaho State Police on Twitter at @IdahoStPolice. Follow ISP and find out what a typical Friday night during the summer is like for a state trooper on patrol.