Traffic Police

[Music] traffic r7 accident temptin Union Street ambulance on the way [Music] you are now entering a community that could be your own let's call it Middletown USA a city that by overhauling its traffic enforcement machinery went from red into black in its traffic accident record formerly a daily occurrence or in spite of a model traffic law there were drivers here as everywhere who respect not the letter of the law but only law that is enforced this was middletown's traffic accident balance sheet on one side a high accident rate on the other comparatively few convictions for traffic violations proof of inadequate enforcement too many accidents in Middletown yes in too many in every town a heedless and tragic toll throughout the nation calling among other things for improvement in cities villages in rural areas in the volume and quality of law enforcement to find the index to the volume of traffic law enforcement in your community divided convictions with penalty for hazardous moving violations by the number of death and injury accidents in Middletown when the community found its proper level of enforcement and index of 15 the result was a sharp drop in the accident rate the quality of enforcement depends upon more than just the number of citations and arrests for effective enforcement depends upon a high percentage of convictions with penalties quality of enforcement also depends upon making best use of police personnel by analysis of its accident records in spot naps Middletown could determine the traffic violations that were causing most of the trouble and so by selective enforcement concentrating its available police at the time and place of these violations the number of accidents was reduced the development of a selective enforcement program and finding the proper enforcement index for your community to essentials of better enforcement of traffic laws but we're getting ahead of our story let's go back to a basic principle Middletown learned early in its experience the need for a special traffic division in its police department a division on a level with other major police functions reporting to the department chief operating under the leadership of a capable trained administrator for today a large city police department can no longer afford to conduct its traffic functions as a sideline instead a well-conducted traffic division is run like an efficient business organization with specialization the keynote from the administrator down to every traffic officer civic functions and an investigation to determine causes gather evidence to support prosecution if the law has been violated traffic direction handling emergencies as well as everyday routine enforcement seeing that motorists and pedestrians obey traffic laws governing use of streets roads and highways when it comes to selecting a police officer consider his need for special skills maintaining public goodwill doing an educational as well as an enforcement job knowing when to issue a citation and when in minor or borderline violations a written warning resisting all attempts at ticket fixing working with the prosecutor's office to prepare court cases in his court appearance knowing the basic rules of evidence and testifying clearly without bias giving a high priority to service of warrants on those who fail to answer a court summons educating pedestrians in safety using specialized equipment necessary in modern traffic law enforcement work yes today's traffic officer has a highly specialized job demanding training as well as aptitude training for all engaged in enforcing state and local traffic laws with higher levels of instruction for traffic administrators and commanding officers at recognized training schools enforcement that does not depend on sporadic drives or campaigns what is instead a week in week out year-round job constant effort to build voluntary observance of traffic laws enforcement aided by careful selection of personnel a vigorous training program sound planning continual analysis of accident records in short the efficient personnel and operating practices of our well-run business when all local and state police organizations are doing these things the high traffic accident rates can be materially reduced and thus we will take another important step in the action program for traffic safety [Music]