Brendan J. Lyons is reporting for the Times Union state troopers have been instructed to resume routine traffic enforcement on Fri., May 1. "This pause was a necessary and precautionary step to ensure our members' health and safety," according to a memorandum sent to troopers who patrol the state Thruway. "Now that there is additional information known about COVID-19 transmission, and the issuance of necessary personal protective equipment to our members has been ongoing, headquarters believes it is now reasonable to resume our traffic enforcement initiatives." State Police vehicle and traffic citations dropped from 85,106 in April 2019 to 10,212 in April 2020. Crashes also declined from 4,928 a year ago to 2,232 this year, and arrests dropped from 4,727 to 2,717. State Police make thousands of arrests annually during traffic stops. The memorandum noted there has been an increase of aggressive drivers during the pandemic. A trooper interviewed by the Times Union said the softening of enforcement had also been a result of individual troopers declining to target doctors, nurses, first responders and other essential workers who may be driving to or from their jobs. Read the full story in the Times Union.