Today’s Star-Ledger has double coverage of Red Bank’s crackdown on cellphone use by motorists.

One piece is the ride-along video, above, in which reporter accompanies police Sgt. Errico Vescio as he pulls over violators.

The other is an article that addresses what safety proponents say is a failure by the federal government to fund enforcement of the laws.

From the article:

Red Bank, a 1.7-square-mile town that sits on the Navesink River. started its week-long crackdown on Monday. It is home to Riverview Medical Center, the Count Basie Theater and many financial businesses, downtown shops and restaurants, all contributing to the hefty volume of cars. At a checkpoint set up on Tuesday, police issued 15 summonses in only 90 minutes, Vescio said.

Last year, Red Bank police issued 400 tickets for cell phone use without any crackdown, said Capt. Darren McConnell. As of May 31, the department had already written about 200 tickets and is on its way to surpassing last year’s tally, he said.