Speed enforcement program : "It's our town, please slow down" : description and analysis submitted to the Police Executive Research Forum to be considered for The Herman Goldstein Award for Excellence in Problem-Oriented Policing.

In its efforts to continue to provide the highest quality of service to its citizens, the Glendale Police Department began to examine what enforcement methods could be implemented to reduce the total number of traffic collisions occurring each year. Trends were showing that both the number and severity of traffic accidents was spiraling upward, yet traditional constraints were seemingly ineffective in combating the increase. The course of action that was decided upon utilized existing resources and techniques, but emphasized "Zero-tolerance" and mandatory arrests for drivers found to be operating their vehicles in an aggressive manner. The program instituted by the Traffic Division of the Police Department was, in and of itself, effective in so much as it brought much needed attention to the speeding and collision crisis the City was experiencing. The notoriety we were receiving, however, was in the form of negative publicity due to the hard-line approach we had taken. What was being lost was the long-term objectives of the program, which were to improve the overall quality of life in Glendale by creating a safer driving environment through behaviour modification. Our goal was to attain voluntary compliance but to achieve this we realized that options other than traffic citations had to be explored. To this end, an alliance was formed between the Police Department, the Marketing Department and Traffic Engineering which was tasked to produce a comprehensive plan to change attitudes as well as behaviours. Resources within the Prosecutors Office and City Court were also utilized to form a broad-based platform from which the plan could be implemented. Personnel and financial resources were dedicated from each unit, with the support of the City Council, to combat this problem on three fronts; education, traffic design and enforcement. The results of this coalition have shown improvements in all areas. The number and severity of collisions have been reduced, public awareness has been enhanced and both short and long-term traffic control alterations have been implemented. Through teamwork the stated goals are being met with a greater sense of understanding and cooperation. (Author/publisher)