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Project
Characteristics |
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Enforcement
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Program
Areas |
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Police
Traffic Services
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Type
of Jurisdiction |
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City |
Targeted
Population |
| Pasadena
Motorists |
Jurisdiction
Size |
| 140,000 |
Funding |
|
402
Funds: $185,959
Local
Funds: $61,986
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Contact |
Lt.
M.C. Reiss
Pasadena Police Dept.
1114 Jeff Ginn
Pasadena, TX 77506
(713)
477-1221
mcreiss@ci.pasadena.tx.us
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Digest
Listing
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TEXAS
Comprehensive Selective
Traffic Enforcement Program
(PDF Version)
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
The city of Pasadena
is growing both residentially and commercially. With twelve major roadways
transecting the city, it is a major commuter route for suburban dwellers
going to jobs in
Houston
and surrounding cities. Seventy-six percent of motor vehicle crash
injuries occurred on these twelve roads in Pasadena.
In
1999, Pasadena had a high number of speed-related crashes and persons injured in crashes.
Pasadena
experienced a steady increase in the total number of accidents each year
with a peak of 4,509 in 2002. Pasadena also experienced a steady increase in the number and severity of traffic
crashes caused by excessive speed, running stop signs, red lights, and
Driving While Intoxicated (DWI).
In 200, thirty-three percent of traffic
crashes were caused by these three factors. There were 188 DWI violations, 517 red light and stop sign violations, and
756 speed-related crashes.
The increase in crashes was expected as the city’s population and transit
population grew. The police department required additional assets to make a major effort to
increase compliance with the traffic laws, but city budget restrictions
precluded hiring more officers or increasing overtime for department
officers.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The Comprehensive Selective
Traffic Enforcement Program’s (STEP) goal is to reduce the number
of crashes caused by excessive speed, disregard of traffic control
devices, and alcohol.
The project’s objectives are to:
-
Increase
compliance with traffic laws in Pasadena and thereby reduce injury
crashes by five percent;
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Decrease intersection crashes by five
percent and alcohol-related crashes by ten percent; and
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Increase safety belt use by two percent
and speed citations by 26 percent.
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
The
Comprehensive
Selective Traffic
Enforcement Program
implemented the following strategies and related activities to achieve its
goals and objectives:
-
Used
STEP grant funds (that is, funds used for enforcement efforts directed
towards issuing citations for speed, intersection and safety belt
violations, and DWI arrests) to pay officers overtime
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Issued citations for speed, intersection and
safety belt violations, and DWI arrests
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Put more officers on the street during peak crash
periods
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Advertised enforcement effort through press releases to
newspapers, radio, and television news
RESULTS
Since
the Comprehensive
Selective Traffic
Enforcement Program began in 2000, the number of injury crashes and
injured persons has dropped from a peak of 1,408 injury crashes in 2001 to
1,289 in 2003. The number of persons injured in crashes dropped from 2,315 in 2001 to
2,050 in 2003. The Comprehensive STEP achieved the following results during 2003:
Reduced alcohol-related crashes
by 11.2 percent
Increased speed citations by
178.5 percent
Averaged 3.237 citations per
hour (which does not include 134 DWI arrests and 241 other arrests
during STEP enforcement actions)
This data proves that a comprehensive selective traffic enforcement program is
beneficial to the welfare of a city’s citizens.
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