One of the Jersey Shore's biggest late-winter draws - Saturday's Ocean County St. Patrick's Day Parade in Seaside Heights - commands equally-impressive police coverage.

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At least 18 local, county and state agencies plan to have boots on the ground - and patrols on the pavement - before, during and after the March 11 event, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.

Many will use automatic license plate readers, and they'll be supplemented by a half-dozen variable message signs.

Patrol units will roam Route 35 from Seaside Park to Point Pleasant Beach, and Route 37 from Seaside Heights to Manchester, in what law enforcement officials term a "pro-active effort to prevent accidents and address traffic violations."

The situation is heightened by Mathis Bridge renovations, which keep two-way traffic confined to reduced numbers of lanes on the adjacent Tunney Bridge between Toms River and Seaside Heights.

They are taking a three-tiered approach, through engineering, education and enforcement, according to OCPO spokesman Al Della Fave.

Officers are instructed to "aggressively enforce" New Jersey driving laws regarding behavior and action that commonly lead to crashes, including driving under the influence (DUI), aggressive of inattentive driving, improper and unsafe turns, failure to yield, failure to keep to the right, speeding, improper passing, ignoring traffic signals, and tailgating.

Truckers will also be under the microscope for violations such as excessive weight, poor equipment maintenance and low brake pressure.

New Jersey State Police are sending the Troop C Tactical Patrol Unit and DUI Enforcement Patrol. The state Division of Highway Traffic Safety and Department of Transportation will have a presence, along with Ocean County's Engineering and Road Departments, the Prosecutor's Office and the Sheriff's Department.

Additionally, police departments in Seaside Heights, Seaside Park, Toms River. Lavallette, Brick Township, Berkeley Township, Mantoloking, Bay Head, Point Pleasant Beach, Manchester, and Lakehurst will dispatch patrols.

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