Farmington Police are participating in a statewide distracted-driving enforcement campaign that runs through April. The Connecticut Department of Transportation calls it "Put the Phone Away or Pay." Thirty-seven Connecticut law enforcement agencies are running the campaign in coordination, and Farmington PD posted its own public notice early in the month.
Farmington Patch reported the local angle on April 10. In a public notice, the Farmington Police Department said:
"If you're texting or using your phone while driving, you risk a ticket and more importantly, a crash."
"We all share the road. Do your part."
The statements were attributed to the department, not to a named officer.
What you'll pay if you get caught
Connecticut's mobile-device-while-driving law carries a tiered fine schedule:
- $150 for a first violation
- $300 for a second violation
- $500 for each subsequent violation
Fines double in work zones.
What this means in Farmington
Farmington PD has not announced specific enforcement locations, hours, or a citation count for this campaign. The campaign is statewide; the penalties are statewide; the law is the same in Farmington as in Hartford or Bristol. The Mercury's daily blotter coverage will show whether April produces any distracted-driving entries that didn't appear in March.
Phones go in pockets. Pockets do not need to be checked at every red light. The ticket starts at $150. The crash is what you actually want to avoid.
A note from our presenting sponsor: Farmington Storage at 155 Scott Swamp Road keeps things at institutional grade — the kind of climate control museums use. The point is that some objects deserve to be preserved, and the right environment is what preserves them. Phones, while you are driving, do not deserve your attention. They will still be there at the next stoplight. 860.777.4001 | farmingtonstorage.com 📦
— Jack Beckett has covered Farmington's police beat through enough April crackdowns to know they are real. He is on his second coffee. His phone, while he wrote this, was face down. ☕
The Farmington Mercury covers the town nobody else is covering — the zoning meeting that ran until 10 p.m., the police log that is technically public record but that you'd never find unless someone typed it up, the board of education vote that determines what your kids learn about next year. We publish slowly, deliberately, and without apology. Our motto is "Always last to breaking news" and we stand behind it: by the time you read this, the dust has settled, the facts are checked, and Jack Beckett has had at least two cups of coffee. Find us at farmingtonmercury.com and tell your neighbors. #WeAreFarmington 📰