PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
In 1998, staff from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Region 5 Office convened a very successful Top Cops Summit in Illinois. A variety of law enforcement agencies representing the six states served by Region 5 (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin) participated in the summit. As a result of this important event, attendees were motivated to promote occupant protection enforcement, education and training in their local jurisdictions. They also acquired an increased awareness of the important role traffic enforcement plays in the criminal apprehension process.

Following the Top Cops Summit, NHTSA staff in the Region 5 Office resolved to develop a means to reach out to law enforcement agencies throughout the Region 5 states that did not participate in the summit, and provide them with the information presented there.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
To communicate with more than 2,100 local, county and state law enforcement agencies in the Region 5 states not attending the Top Cops Summit, NHTSA staff developed the concept of the State Police District Traffic Summit. The primary objectives of this initiative are:

• To reach out to law enforcement executives not participating in the Regional Top Cops Summit
• To sustain the partnerships developed between the various law enforcement and government agencies at the Top Cops Summit

STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
NHTSA Region 5 personnel formed a partnership with the Illinois State Police and the Illinois Division of Traffic Safety to fully develop the concept and agenda for the District Traffic Summits. Each summit is specifically tailored to a particular State Police District in Region 5. The Illinois State Police District Commander has a key role in the development of the summit agenda and program presentation.

Each summit is four hours in length, and generally follows this agenda:

• The summit opens with a message from the local District Commander or president of the local Police Chiefs' Association
• Regional Program Managers from NHTSA's Region 5 Office, and the Office's Law Enforcement Liaison provide presentations on NHTSA's priority program areas. These include Buckle Up America, Partners in Progress, Walk in Our Shoes, the Local Primary Seat Belt Ordinance Option and TOPS Training
• State police and local agency personnel conduct presentations on aggressive driving and crime and traffic
• Following the presentations, breakout sessions are conducted, in which discussion groups are formed. Discussion groups report back to the larger group
• Cooperative traffic initiatives are examined, along with legal mechanisms to facilitate multi-jurisdictional efforts. A Mutual Aid Agreement is circulated, addressing liability and jurisdictional concerns

RESULTS
The District Traffic Summits provide a forum for communicating with law enforcement agency leaders. Participants obtain the information and tools they need to develop occupant protection enforcement programs in their local jurisdictions, and they are encouraged to initiate collaborative ventures. By pooling resources and equipment, individual police departments increase their occupant protection enforcement capabilities, education and training, enabling them to address other traffic safety-related issues.

FALL 1999