AUGUSTA (AP) — State police departments are beefing up their patrols over the holiday season in an effort to stymie drunken driving.

Maine Department of Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland says about 70 police departments across the state recently received federal grants to pay overtime for officers who will be on the lookout for drunk and impaired drivers.

McCausland said the reinforcements are particularly important around New Year’s Eve. He says many people do heed the warnings about drinking and driving over the holiday, but for those who don’t, “there will be police out there to make a personal impression on those drivers.”

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