Media Advisory: 

November 22, 2019

Initiative reinforces the importance of safe driving behaviors

during one of the busiest times of the year

WHAT:

The Delaware Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is launching its new Safe Family Holiday Campaign, as well as reactivating the SoberLift initiative ahead of Thanksgiving weekend.

Through a combination of tactics – traditional media, social media, and grassroots efforts partnering with restaurants, businesses, and statewide partners – OHS will educate Delawareans about the increased dangers associated with holiday driving to reduce crashes and fatalities on Delaware roadways during the holiday season.  

WHERE:

Iron Hill Brewery

620 Justison Street

Wilmington, DE 19801

https://goo.gl/maps/8s7U5SMVc268v7BL9

WHEN:

Monday, November 25 at 11 a.m.

WHO:

Robert Coupe, Cabinet Secretary of Delaware Department of Safety & Homeland Security

Kim Chesser, Director of Delaware Office of Highway Safety

John Yeomans, Chief of Delaware Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement

Dave Ennis, Regional Program Manager of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Representatives from: OHS, Delaware State Police, first responders, corporate partners, government and business leaders

Traffic Safety Carolers

MORE:

The relaunched “Safe Family Holiday” campaign coincides with OHS’s traffic enforcement period running Wednesday, November 27, 2019, through Wednesday, January 1, 2020, and focuses on responsible driving and pedestrian safety during one of the busiest travel times of the year.

Carolers will be on-site at the following prominent community events and locations throughout the state, performing their newest round of holiday favorites with a unique safety-messaging twist. They will be joined by street teams that will encourage passersby to pledge responsible driving.

• • Saturday, Dec. 7 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Winter WonderFEST2019 in Milton, Delaware
  • Sunday, Dec. 8 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.: Christmas in Smyrna at the Smyrna Opera House in Smyrna, Delaware
  • Monday, Dec. 9 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.: Caroling on the Circle in Georgetown, Delaware
  • Saturday, Dec. 14 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.: Christiana Mall in Newark, Delaware
  • Saturday, Dec. 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.: Dover Mall in Dover, Delaware

In addition to Safe Family Holiday, OHS is pleased to announce its reactivation of the SoberLift program, in partnership with Lyft^®, over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, statewide. The program will begin on Wednesday, November 27, at 3 p.m. and run through Sunday, December 1, at 2 a.m., and will provide free Lyft^® vouchers* (maximum value of $15) for individuals who want a safe ride. To participate in the program, individuals need to text “SOBERLIFT” to 99000 to redeem the discount code.

Campaign sponsors include: Breakthru Beverage DE, Captain Morgan, Two Stones, Buffalo Wild Wings, Grain Craft Bar + Kitchen, First State Brew Bus, Kelly’s Logan House, Washington Street Ale House/Oyster House, Wilmington Blue Rocks, Delaware Department of Insurance, Dewey Business Partnership, Bluecoast Seafood and Grill Rehoboth, The Starboard, Liquid Alchemy Brewing, and Aloysius Butler & Clark (AB&C).

For more information, please visit https://www.arrivealivede.com.

CONTACT:  Cynthia Cavett (302) 744-2743 or cynthia.cavett@delaware.gov 

You can follow the Delaware Office of Highway Safety by clicking on:

Delaware Office of Highway Safety Web Site

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

About the Delaware Office of Highway Safety
The Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is committed to improving the safety of Delaware’s motoring public by focusing on behavioral traffic safety issues such as impaired driving, seat belt use, speeding, child passenger safety, pedestrian and bicycle safety, motorcycle safety, and teen driving issues. FAQs can be found at ArriveAliveDE.com.

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Reminder for the week: Required hunter education in Delaware

DOVER – To achieve public compliance with laws and regulations through education and enforcement actions that help conserve Delaware’s fish and wildlife resources and ensure safe boating and public safety, DNREC’s Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers between Nov. 11-17 made 2,416 contacts with hunters, anglers, boaters, and the general public, issuing 40 citations. Officers responded to 74 complaints regarding possible violations of laws and regulations or requests to assist the public. A Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police presence continued at the C&D Canal Conservation Area and Michael N. Castle Trail.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police in the Community

• On Nov. 17, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers provided security and logistical support to the Blue Cheetah Timing C&D Canal Half Marathon & 5K held on the Michael N. Castle Trail in the C&D Canal Conservation Area.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Actions

• On Nov. 17, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers completed an investigation with the arrest of a Harrington man for multiple charges of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition by a person prohibited.

Citations issued by category, with the number of charges in parentheses, included:

Wildlife Conservation: Failure to tag antlered deer (4), possession of unlawfully taken antlered deer (1)*, removing antlered deer parts prior to checking (2), failure to purchase a hunter choice tag prior to killing an antlered deer (1), hunting deer with the aid of illegal bait on a wildlife area (6)*, spotlighting (1), hunting on a refuge (2), hunting deer on a Sunday on a state forest (1), hunting deer in archery season with weapon other than a bow (1), trespass to hunt (2), and unlicensed hunting (1).

Public Safety: Failure to display required hunter orange during a firearms deer season (6), possession of a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle (3), and possession, purchase, ownership or control of a firearm or ammunition by a person prohibited (3).

Other: Trespassing after hours on a state wildlife area (2)*, driving with a suspended or revoked license (1)*, operating an unregistered motor vehicle on a state wildlife area (1)*, fictitious tags (1)*, and operating a motor vehicle without insurance (1)*.

*Includes citation(s) issued at the C&D Canal Conservation Area.

DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife recognizes and thanks the majority of anglers, hunters, and boaters who comply with and support Delaware’s fishing, hunting, and boating laws and regulations. The Public are encouraged to report fish, wildlife, and boating violations to the Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police by calling 302-739-4580 or through the DENRP Tip app on a smartphone, which can be downloaded free of charge by searching “DENRP Tip” via the Google Play Store or the iTunes App Store. Wildlife violations may also be reported anonymously to Operation Game Theft by calling 800-292-3030, going online to http://de.gov/ogt, or using the DENRP Tip app. Verizon customers can connect to Operation Game Theft directly by dialing #OGT.

Are you AWARE?
Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police remind the public that per Delaware law, all people born after Jan. 1, 1967, are required to satisfactorily complete a Basic Hunter Education Course to obtain a Delaware hunting license or youth hunting license. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult when taking the course. Hunter education certification is not issued to children under 10 years of age. To learn more about Hunter Education, visit this link, or call
302-735-3600, Ext.1.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/DEFWNRPolice/.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Twitter, https://twitter.com/DE_FW_NRPolice.

Contact: Sgt. Brooke Mitchell, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, 302-739-9913, or 302-382-7167.

Other defendants face prison time on manslaughter, drug, weapons, robbery, and burglary charges

Syiee Parker, a Wilmington man who left his 10-month-old child in a car one day last summer has pleaded guilty to causing her death. In July 2019, Parker, 37, dropped his wife off at work, and took 6 other children to summer camps. Despite initially telling police that he dropped off the child at daycare, an investigation determined that Parker failed to do so and returned home. The child remained in the car for over 7 hours and was found later that afternoon when Parker picked up his wife. Parker drove the child to the hospital, and upon arriving, she had a temperature of 109 degrees and was not breathing. Parker pleaded guilty to Criminally Negligent Homicide and Providing a False Statement to a Law Enforcement Officer. A Superior Court judge will sentence Parker next year. Deputy Attorneys General James Kriner and Diana Dunn prosecuted the case, with assistance from social worker Bettina Jones and paralegal Jayna Quillen.

A Dover man previously convicted of a fatal shooting has been sentenced to 75 years in prison. A Superior Court judge sentenced Reginald Waters, 33, for the 2016 killing of 31-year-old Clifton Thompson of Newark. In February 2016, Waters shot and killed Thompson after a brief interaction in the parking lot outside Thompson’s home in the Prides Court Apartments in Ogletown. In a bench trial in 2018, the judge found Waters guilty of Manslaughter, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited, and Possession of Ammunition by a Person Prohibited. Barred from having a gun because of previous felony convictions for sexual assault and weapons charges, Waters was declared a habitual offender and sentenced to 75 years in prison, followed by 6 months of either home confinement or work release, then 1 year of probation. Deputy Attorneys General Brian Robertson and Cynthia Hurlock prosecuted the case with the assistance of paralegal Stacey Coupe.

A Wilmington man convicted on weapons and drug charges has been sentenced to 25 years in prison. Deputy Attorneys General Michael Cooksey and Anna Currier secured the sentence for 29-year-old Angel Arbolay. While on patrol in October 2018, members of the Delaware State Police Governor’s Task Force heard what they believed to be a domestic dispute at the Dutch Inn Motel on the 100 block of South Dupont Parkway in New Castle. As they investigated, they identified Angel Arbolay, a man wanted on a Violation of Probation charge, as being involved. Arbolay refused to let officers in the room, leading them to use a Taser to subdue Arbolay. Once inside, police found a loaded 9-mm handgun, close to 400 grams of marijuana, illegal prescription pills, cocaine, as well as materials and equipment used for packaging and dealing drugs. In July 2019, Arbolay was convicted by a Superior Court judge in a bench trial of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, Drug Dealing, Aggravated Drug Possession Tier 1, Tampering with Physical Evidence, Operating a Clandestine Laboratory, Possession of a Controlled Substance, Resisting Arrest, and Possession of Drug Dealing Paraphernalia. Abolay was sentenced to 25 years in prison, followed by 6 months of either home confinement or work release, then 18 months of probation. DOJ paralegals Meredith Parkinson and Julia Bacon assisted with the case.

A string of home burglaries in Kent County resulted in a guilty plea and prison sentence for a Georgetown man. Richard Edwards, 46, pleaded guilty to 3 counts of Burglary Second Degree. During the last week of May 2019, Edwards broke into homes Hartly, Dover, and Smyrna, and stole a 9-mm handgun, cash, jewelry, and a video game console. A Superior Court judge immediately sentenced Edwards to 10 years in prison, followed by 1 year of probation. Edwards will then remain on probation until restitution is paid. Deputy Attorneys General Stephen Smith and Sean Motoyoshi prosecuted the case.

Deputy Attorneys General Nicole Hartman and Sean Motoyoshi secured a prison sentence for a Marydel man for his previous guilty plea to weapons, drug, and theft charges. In January 2019, Dustin Bell, 22, robbed a woman at gunpoint, stealing her cell phone during an argument about money. When police executed a search warrant 2 days later, they found a loaded 9-mm handgun, methamphetamine, marijuana, and oxycodone. Bell pleaded guilty in August 2019 to Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, Drug Dealing, and Theft of Less Than $1500. A Superior Court judge sentenced Bell to 7 years in prison including the Key substance abuse program, followed by completion of the Crest residential drug treatment program, then 1 year of Crest aftercare probation.

DOVER – DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers this week concluded multiple trespassing to hunt investigations, resulting in two separate arrests of individuals charged with hunting and trespassing on closed Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) properties.

On Nov. 14, Christopher Kinne, 50, of Lancaster, Pa., was charged with one count of trespassing to hunt when making his way to a deer stand with a crossbow on DelDOT property located off of Route 1 south of the Leipsic River near Smyrna. As a result of the arrest, a Barnett Ghost 420 crossbow with quiver and bolt was confiscated as evidence. Kinne was released, pending a mandatory appearance in Kent County Justice of the Peace Court 7 in Dover.

On Nov. 17, Robert Unruh, 45, of Townsend, was charged with one count each of hunting on a state game refuge, hunting deer with the aid of illegal bait, and failure to display required hunter orange during a firearms deer season on a DelDOT property located east of Route 1 and north of Blackbird Creek near Townsend. Unruh was fined $379, including court costs and released.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police again remind the public that certain state-owned properties are closed to the public, including numerous created wetland sites established by DelDOT to offset environmental impacts from transportation projects throughout the state. These created wetlands are protected properties closely monitored to evaluate how well they are becoming established and whether they meet environmental standards. Any damage to these sites as a result of trespassing or other activities – such as illegally erecting stands or clearing vegetation for hunting, or using the sites for other outdoor recreation activities – may impact DelDOT’s compliance with state and federal environmental permit requirements.

“No trespassing” signage is posted at these sites, with additional signage being installed on DelDOT properties to inform the public. Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police are patrolling these sites to help achieve awareness and compliance.

Media contact: Sgt. Brooke Mitchell, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, 302-739-9086 or 302-382-7167; or Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

Like Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Facebook, www.facebook.com/pages/Delaware-Fish-Wildlife-Natural-Resources-Police.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Twitter, https://twitter.com/DE_FW_NRPolice.

-End-

DOVER – Delaware’s Advisory Council on Wildlife and Freshwater Fish will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 26 in the DNREC Auditorium, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901.

For more information, including the meeting agenda, visit the Delaware Public Meeting Calendar at https://publicmeetings.delaware.gov/Meeting/62207.

For more information on Delaware wildlife, please call the DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife’s Wildlife Section at 302-739-9912. For more information on Delaware fisheries, please call the DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife’s Fisheries Section at 302-739-9914.

Follow the Division of Fish & Wildlife on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/DelawareFishWildlife.

Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902