Claymont – The Delaware State Police conducted a checkpoint Friday morning at Naaman’s Rd. and Society Dr., in the area of Northtown Plaza, as a measure to enforce Governor Carney’s order restricting out of state travelers entry into Delaware.
On Thursday evening Troopers also conducted directed patrols on non-interstate roadways in the Claymont area which had been identified as having a large volume of out of state travelers.
The seventh modification of the Governor’s State of Emergency Declaration specifically addresses the requirement for out-of-state persons traveling into the State of Delaware to self-quarantine for 14 days. This order authorizes any Delaware law enforcement officer to stop a vehicle driving within the state simply because it is displaying an out-of-state tag. This authorization does not apply to vehicles traveling on I-95, I-295, or I-495.
As vehicles passed through the check-point, which ran from approximately 10:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., those with out of state tags were stopped with the driver being asked limited questions related to their recent travel and purpose for entering Delaware. The driver was then informed of the Governor’s declaration and explicitly advised that if they are coming into Delaware from out-of-state, they are required by law to self-quarantine for 14 days or immediately return to their home state.
Delaware State Police Troop 1 Commander, Captain John Laird, who oversaw the operation, advised that the interactions that his Troopers had with both the Delawareans who passed through the check-point, as well as the out of state drivers who were stopped, were productive and non-confrontational. Those being stopped were appreciative in being made aware of the Governor’s order and what the expectation was. During the interactions the Troopers stressed that the primary purpose of the stop was to inform and to educate as opposed to it being a criminal enforcement initiative, although violating the order does constitute a criminal offense. There were no citations issued or arrests made during the operation, which saw approximately 500 vehicles proceed through the checkpoint.
Directed patrols throughout the state will continue. The purpose of the patrols and checkpoints is to achieve voluntary compliance with the order through education and awareness. These stops are intended to serve the public welfare by helping to prevent and contain the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
For information regarding the Governor’s State of Emergency Declaration and associated restrictions log on to: https://de.gov/coronavirus