Indiana State Police Superintendent Anthony Scott speaks at a news conference on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025, in Indianapolis. (Casey Smith/Indiana Capital Chronicle)
By Casey Smith
Indiana Capital Chronicle
For The Republic
Indiana State Police will deploy extra patrols, sobriety checkpoints and other enforcement efforts over the Labor Day holiday in a push to reduce crashes and fatalities, officials announced Friday.
Superintendent Anthony Scott said troopers will be out “in full force” as part of the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign. The ongoing effort is spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“Our mission this holiday weekend is clear,” Scott said at a news conference in Indianapolis. “We’re committed to targeting aggressive driving, removing impaired drivers from our roads and apprehending those who threaten the safety and insecurity of our fellow citizens.”
Scott noted that state police recorded 1,816 crashes across Indiana over last year’s Labor Day weekend, including 368 injury crashes and eight fatal crashes that killed nine people.
“That’s unacceptable,” he said. “We’re going to do everything we can until those numbers become zero — which, obviously, is probably not possible — but we’re going to do everything in our control to make that happen.”
Scott emphasized, too, that the increased presence will not end when the holiday does.
“This is not just about traffic enforcement. It’s about protecting lives and upholding the well-being of every person traveling through our great state,” he said. “Our dedication to keeping Indiana roads safe does not end when the holiday weekend is over.”
Gov. Mike Braun, who joined Friday’s announcement at the Indianapolis State Police District 52 post, tied the holiday crackdown to his broader public safety agenda.
“You can see how seriously we’re taking public safety, and especially around holidays, where we need to be more on-guard against trying to get those sad statistics down,” Braun said.
— Indiana Capital Chronicle covers state government and the state legislature. For more visit indianacapitalchronicle.com.
