Troopers to hide in plain sight during statewide crackdown called ‘Operation Hardhat’

Starting today, New York State Police (NYSP) will be conducting a statewide enforcement effort to target reckless drivers in work zones.

From April 26 through April 30, NYSP will conduct “Operation Hardhat” enforcement activities throughout the state of New York, according to a news release from Governor Andrew Cuomo. The enforcement activities are in support of National Work Zone Awareness Week.

During the enforcement effort, NYSP will assign additional patrols to work zones across the state to enforce the State’s vehicle and traffic laws. “This is in addition to more than 75 Traffic Incident Management troopers and supervisors who are specially trained to conduct dedicated passenger and commercial vehicle enforcement in and around major, active work zones and targeted enforcement in identified problem areas,” Cuomo said.

As a part of this year’s Operation Hardhat, NYSP troopers will be disguised as construction workers in an attempt to catch drivers performing illegal activities in construction zones.

During last year’s “Operation Hardhat,” 1,770 tickets were issued by NYSP.

“More and more New Yorkers will take to the roads as our state’s economy gradually reopens and recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, and that means it’s going to become even more important to ensure everyone is driving safely,” Governor Cuomo said. “During National Work Zone Awareness Week, it’s critical to remember the dangers that transportation workers and law enforcement personnel face on our highways and that we do everything we can to support them. New York State has zero tolerance for drivers who endanger our dedicated workforce and through Operation Hardhat, we will make it clear that anyone who disregards these laws will be held accountable.”