WSP Conducting High Visibility Patrols Ahead of Hoopfest

The Washington State Patrol will be conducting high visibility enforcement patrols in the Spokane area this weekend.

According to a press release, this is a multi-agency effort requiring all hands on deck (to borrow an overused corporate term). WSP Districts 2, 4 and 6 - among other law enforcement agencies - will be coordinating the patrols.

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Commuters on I-90 can expect to see a flurry of patrol vehicles equipped with "state-of-the-art measuring devices." That's in addition to other trusted resources like "Aggressive Driving Apprehension Team (ADAT) vehicles and Aviation."

This coincides with Hoopfest, an annual basketball tournament. With heightened traffic comes a heightened risk of accidents.

Trooper Jeremiah Matthews says the patrols are a preventative measure. The WSP wants to quickly identify careless or reckless motorists.

"Whether it be road rage, tailgating, high speeds - we want to get these people stopped before the situation gets way worse," Matthew says.

Matthews goes on to bemoan the prevalence of cell phones and other distractions.

"One of our main causes of crashes is distracted driving," he says. "Unfortunately, people are looking at their cell phones rather than looking at the roadway - and that's causing crashes."

As for Hoopfest, it's a huge point of pride in Eastern Washington, a  hallowed tradition dating back to the early 1990s. Every June hordes of players, volunteers and fans descend on Spokane for this singular event, which stretches 45 city blocks.

Literally thousands of squads compete in Hoopfest. The games are three-on-three.

Regionwide, according to the press release, there exist about 30 courts hand-built by the Spokane Hoopfest Association. The SHA's charitable endeavors are also noteworthy

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