The New Mexico Traffic Safety Bureau (TSB) determined through a statewide assessment and an innovative local assessment of 35 law enforcement agencies that the state lacked necessary training in Police Traffic Services (PTS). This inadequate training directly affected the agencies’ ability to solve crash problems.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

In order to better prepare officers to recognize and address crash problems, the following goals were set for the PTS training program:

• Develop a process to train officers on the value of traffic law enforcement and its effect in reducing traffic crashes and crime;
• Certify a curriculum and instructors to comply with New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy (NMLEA) advanced training requirements;
• Present easily accessible training classes in a wide variety of locations to reduce travel and related costs for departments; and
• Provide training appropriate to patrol officers, supervisors and middle-level managers, and policymakers.

STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES

The training program consists of three tiers that focus on reducing traffic crashes, other traffic problems, and crime. Classes are free to all law enforcement agencies, and sessions are Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) certified to meet advanced training requirements.

The first tier of training, geared towards patrol officers, includes an accredited, eight-hour Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) course that covers topics such as:

• Looking beyond the ticket;
• “Crash” versus “accident”;
• Selective traffic enforcement;
• Identification and basic analysis of high crash locations;
• Collision and condition diagrams; and
• Development of STEP campaigns and action plans.

The second tier includes an 80-hour course called The Management of Police Traffic Services (MPTS), designed for supervisors, mid-managers, and executives. The 80-hour curriculum comprises more comprehensive, specialized training in managing fatal and serious crash scenes, STEP, looking beyond the ticket, public information and education, media/Public Information Officer training, legal liability, traffic engineering, budgeting, grant writing, leadership and development, and justifying a traffic unit or program. The course is based on practical training that includes developing STEPs, writing grant proposals, preparing a performance-based budget, composing press releases, analyzing high-crash locations, collision and condition diagramming, and traffic analysis scenarios.

The third tier is the Executive Traffic Safety Forum for police chiefs, sheriffs, or policy-making staff. The 10-hour session educates participants about the importance of traffic safety and enforcement, and assists them in preparing a specific action plan to reduce crashes and solve traffic problems with the support of elected officials, citizens, and others. The forum also informs participants of available training; as well as opens and reinforces lines of communication and cooperation between the TSB and its departments.

RESULTS

The TSB has continually upgraded each program since its inception. The participation results are follows:

• Tier one: STEP – 1,500 students in six years.
• Tier two: MPTS – 63 students in two years.
• Tier three: Executive Forums – 14 students in the first year.

The law enforcement community’s response to this three-tiered approach has been extremely positive. The trainings favorably changed attitudes and actions toward traffic law enforcement and traffic safety. In response to the Executive Forums, several departments committed to develop traffic units or programs in the near future. These changes, coupled with opening or reinforcing lines of communication with TSB, brought about new traffic-safety awareness in New Mexico.

The TSB concludes that the training will definitely assist in reducing traffic crashes and plans to continue these programs.