S.T.O.P.P.E.D.
Sheriff Telling Our Parents & Promoting Educated Drivers (S.T.O.P.P.E.D.)
Sheriff Clay Whittle is pleased to introduce the ST.O.P.P.E.D. program, a parental notification system developed by the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office in New York. This program will hopefully reduce the number of young drivers involved in motor vehicle accidents.
Over 3,000 drivers between 16 and 21 years of age die in the United States each year as a result of car crashes.
The Columbia County Sheriff's Office offers parents this voluntary notification system to assist them in watching their young drivers and to raise awareness for drivers under the age of 21.
How ST.O.P.P.E.D. Works
First
Parents voluntarily register with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office any motor vehicle that will be operated by a driver under the age of 21.
Second
When you register, you receive an identification decal that you will affix to the rear window of each registered vehicle.
Get ST.O.P.P.E.D.
If for any reason one of the registered vehicles, when operated by a driver under the age of 21, is stopped by the Sheriff's Office, the Deputy will complete a notification card providing the following information:
- Time and location of the stop
- Driver's name and number of passengers
- Reason for the stop
- Whether any traffic citations were issued.
Notifications will be mailed directly to parents to make them aware of potential problems and enable them to enforce any parental rules that often coexist with teenage driving privileges.
Register Today
If you wish to register for the voluntary program, you can do the following:
Call the Columbia County Sheriff's Office Community Services Division at 706-541-2856 and request a registration form or download the S.T.O.P.P.E.D. Registration Form (PDF).