When Nassau County Police Commissioner James Lawrence announced the 62 DWI arrests made during the Memorial Day weekend in Nassau, he said that "Driving While Intoxicated is a serious offense that has cost many people their lives. Law enforcement here in Nassau County will continue to crack down on those who do not abide by the rules and regulations that are meant to protect all who reside in and visit Nassau County".

It sounds great, but I'm afraid that the reality probably is that all 62 of those drunk drivers were back in their cars driving among us all within 24 hours of their arrest.

How many of their vehicles were impounded?

How many of their licenses were suspended or revoked?

How many of them had to pay fines expensive enough to actually deter them from ever driving drunk again?

Did these arrests protect those of us who reside in Nassau for any more than the few hours these people were detained?

Can we ever be safe from people like these who knowingly choose to drink and drive, unless they are locked up behind bars? Otherwise, who or what can actually stop them?

Why should the "rights" of drunk drivers to remain free, out of jail or prison, ever supersede our own rights to be safe on our streets?

What "help" could Commissioner Lawrence use from District Attorney Rice, Nassau County judges, and the State Legislature in Albany so that he and his police officers could really "crack down" on drunk drivers and truly protect us from "those who do not abide by the rules and regulations"?

Richard Siegelman