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Early morning police checks delay Grand Avenue traffic

JULIE LANE PHOTO Shelter Island Police had a license and registration check on Grand Avenue Monday morning, pulling over several drivers who would be cited for driving without a license.
JULIE LANE PHOTO
Shelter Island Police had a license and registration check on Grand Avenue Monday morning, pulling over several drivers who would be cited for driving without a license.

Shelter Island Police were out in force Monday morning checking drivers’ licenses of motorists on Grand Avenue, many who had just disembarked from North Ferry.It was a routine check, Police Chief Jim Read said, explaining that from time to time it’s necessary to stop those whose licenses have been suspended or revoked, but are driving anyway. By assigning several officers to the checks, he said he was trying to keep the traffic slowdown to a minimum.

As long as drivers are treated the same, such checks are legal, said Judge Helen Rosenbaum of Shelter Island Justice Court.

Several drivers who were found not to have valid drivers’ licenses, were pulled over onto Bay Avenue to be cited individually for what police said were violations. Those drivers will face future appearances in Justice Court.

The crackdowns are in response to increases in people who have been cited for driving while intoxicated or ability impaired on the East End, Chief Read said.

The issue of unlicensed drivers — many of whom are undocumented immigrants — was aired by Town Councilman Paul Shepherd at a recent work session.

j.lane@sireporter