|
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
Fourteen separate state,
county, and local law enforcement agencies share responsibility for
traffic enforcement in Salt Lake County—the largest metropolitan area
in Utah. Historically, there has been no unified plan to coordinate
traffic enforcement activities among the various agencies which serve
the greater Salt Lake area.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The Salt Lake County Multi-Agency
Task Force was initiated in 1996 to strengthen traffic enforcement relationships
in the Salt Lake metropolitan area. Objectives of the Task Force effort
include the following:
- Unite the efforts of
law enforcement agencies throughout the Salt Lake metropolitan area
- Provide a forum to identify
multi-jurisdictional traffic safety problems and solutions
- Develop strategies for
multi-jurisdictional traffic safety outreach programs
- Create a venue for sharing
ideas and accomplishments
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
In 1996,
the Utah Highway Safety Office and the Salt Lake Sheriff's Office met
to analyze territorial and coordination problems encountered by metropolitan
area law enforcement agencies. As a result, the two agencies developed
the Salt Lake County Multi-Agency Task Force comprised of all local,
county and state law enforcement agencies; law enforcement agencies
from schools and universities; and representatives from four other government
agencies. Monthly meetings served two purposes—to develop cooperative
law enforcement activities, and to showcase best traffic safety practices
and programs. Examples of activities promoted by the Salt Lake County
Multi-Agency Task Force include the following:
- Task Force
agencies coordinated multi-jurisdictional participation in the national
program, Operation ABC Mobilization: America Buckles Up Children.
A local park serves as the staging area for enforcement operations
of the child safety seat program. The program kicks-off with a press
conference, which is a large media event covered by local affiliates
representing all the major television networks. Afterward, all area
law enforcement agencies proceed to their assigned enforcement sites
to check motor vehicles for proper seat belt and child safety seat
use. When an officer recognizes improper use of a child safety seat,
the motorist is sent back to the staging area at the park and provided
instruction on proper use. In some circumstances, the motorist is
provided a free child safety seat
- A local
program, Operation DUI, is conducted before Labor Day each
year, and enforces local Driving Under the Influence (DUI) laws. This
event occurs along the primary artery which extends across the entire
Salt Lake metropolitan area and involves the coordinated efforts of
all law enforcement agencies
- Coordinated
law enforcement efforts have strengthened existing programs, such
as Canyon Patrol, which enforces underage drinking laws at
a local gathering place for youth during the summer school recess
- Area law
enforcement agencies have coordinated efforts during community events
such as bike rodeos and child safety seat check point drives
- Showcase
programs featured during monthly Task Force meetings have been replicated
in other jurisdictions. For example, for the program Parent Parking
Patrol, local police train parents to monitor drop-off and pick-up
times at elementary schools
|
