The Pennsylvania State Police introduced Operation Nighthawk during the summer of 2002. The program started as a simple two-day impaired driving training and enforcement experience for police officers. The program was so successful that it has been repeated annually for more than 20 years and has expanded to include multiple jurisdictions.
The concept of the program includes specialized training in impaired driving enforcement, combined with motivational speakers in a classroom setting, followed by impaired driving enforcement activities. The information from the motivational and educational elements is immediately applied by officers during a massive, impaired driving roving patrol event. The program has shown a significant impact on all attendees as well as the members of the community where the event is conducted. The overall program goal is to rejuvenate the police officers’ commitment to impaired driving enforcement, which increases impaired driving enforcement activity. Highly visible impaired driving enforcement increases community awareness and increases the deterrence against choosing to drive intoxicated. One main goal of the program is to increase community awareness of the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol or other impairing substances, as well as the penalties for impaired driving. The program seeks to reduce the number of people driving under the influence and the number of impaired driving–related crashes, which will then reduce the number of people seriously injured or killed in such crashes. In order to reduce the number of impaired driving crashes, two audiences must be addressed: motorists and police officers. This program was designed to and has been successful in addressing the mind-sets of both groups through training and enforcement.
The concept for this program is based on the principle that, too often, educational or motivational information learned by police officers at workshops or training conferences is not immediately applied or practiced. This program provides attendees with educational and motivational training and the opportunity to immediately apply what they learned Educational components have included topics such as impaired driving–related case law updates, drugged driving, Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) refresher training, and various other appropriate topics beneficial to all attendees. Motivational components have included presentations by victims of impaired driving or impacted families, as well as other emotional stories that underline the importance of these efforts.
In addition to the specific motivational presenters, program organizers determined that police officers appreciate receiving program-related items when they attend conferences and seminars. Portfolios with the program logo are provided to attendees. Attendees have also received other motivational items over the years, including items such as penlights to assist them during DUI investigations, coffee mugs, travel cups, T-shirts, and challenge coins. These types of keepsakes help the officers remember the experience and the information learned.
Schedule Overview
The program is conducted on two consecutive evenings. The classroom training begins on Friday evening and the enforcement activities conclude early Sunday morning. Classroom activities take place from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on both evenings and are immediately followed by the DUI roving enforcement activities, which are conducted from 11:00 p.m. until 3:00 a.m.
The conference atmosphere encourages the officers to have fun while emphasizing their safety and the safety of all motorists. The program usually begins with motivational music, photos, welcoming presentations, and an explanation of the program goals. The classroom session continues with an educational presentation. Following a break and networking time, attendees hear from a motivational speaker. After hearing a powerful message about impaired driving enforcement, all attendees receive a light meal, which is followed by a pre-deployment enforcement briefing. Both activities are important as they prepare attendees for the three-hour intensive impaired driving roving enforcement activity. At the completion of the Friday evening enforcement activity at 3:00 a.m., officers are released with instructions to report to the classroom location on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. for the second day of activities.
Upon arriving on Saturday, officers receive enforcement statistical data from the prior evening and then attend additional educational and motivational presentations. Prior to the meal, Friday enforcement activities and totals are discussed, and officers who excelled in enforcement activities are recognized. All attendees are presented with a certificate of completion, as well as appropriate praise for their enforcement efforts. The officers then start the second evening of the three-hour intensive impaired driving roving enforcement activity.
A vigorous media campaign is conducted for each program. Using the media to inform the community of the massive DUI enforcement activity promotes the goals of the program and incentivizes drivers to make better decisions regarding driving under the influence during that weekend. The 11:00 p.m. start time of the enforcement detail aligns perfectly with live news broadcasts. The enforcement activities are visible to the community, who can see the police commitment to enforce laws against impaired driving. This visibility has a positive impact, resulting in an increase in voluntary compliance. Statistical data regarding total enforcement activity numbers for the weekend are collected after the Saturday evening enforcement activities and shared with media outlets.
The commitment and the motivation that this program creates to remove impaired drivers from the highways are unmatched. The program has been conducted since its inception in 2002, and it was nominated for the IACP Webber Seavey Award. The program has been conducted in various jurisdictions within Pennsylvania more than 50 times resulting in more than 23,000 traffic stops; nearly 2,000 impaired driving arrests; 10,000 traffic citations; and, most important, an unknown number of lives saved. In 2022, the program was conducted simultaneously at 15 separate locations throughout the state to celebrate the program’s 20-year anniversary.
The impact of the motivational and educational presentations undoubtedly has a positive impact on officer’s commitment to removing impaired drivers. Although there is no published statistical data available, impaired driving arrest statistics have been known to increase after successful programs. Additionally, as the motivation increases, the officers become more committed to attending additional training in areas such as Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) and the Drug Evaluation and Classification Program (DECP).
Operation Nighthawk brings together police officers from a multitude of agencies creating a team approach to accomplish the goals of removing impaired drivers from highways and saving lives. d
Please cite as
David Andrascik, “Operation Nighthawk Pairs Training and Enforcement,” Police Chief Online, January 17, 2024.
