Community policing and residential traffic control - Focus on Community Policing

FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin,The, August, 1994 by Mark Cutcliffe

Excessive speed and reckless driving threaten both lives and property, reducing the quality of life within neighborhoods. To counteract this problem, law enforcement officials should ensure that effective traffic control remains an integral component of any residential community policing effort.

Officers sometimes underestimate the negative impact traffic violators have on neighborhoods and choose, instead, to concentrate their efforts on more serious offenders. They fail to recognize that traffic violations within neighborhoods promote disorder and a feeling of lawlessness. Over time, violators grow more bold, and the residents begin to develop a sense of helplessness.

Law enforcement agencies can change the complexion of neighborhoods and restore community spirit by working to resolve traffic problems. This requires careful analysis of key neighborhood elements and the implementation of specific changes based on what this analysis reveals.

ANALYSIS

To begin the analysis, law enforcement officials should examine the neighborhood's existing traffic control and crime prevention measures, as well as its social makeup. These components intertwine in the analysis process.

When gathering data, officials must not underestimate the importance of public input. Through public forums, residents can offer valuable information concerning the neighborhood, and in turn, officials can educate citizens about the policing effort. Efforts such as these emphasize cooperation between police and citizens--a critical tenet of community policing.

An effective analysis also requires specific details about the target neighborhood. Administrators should examine previous accident reports and traffic complaints; note the condition, placement, and visibility of road signs; conduct a 24-hour, 7-day traffic count and speed check; and request the observations of district or zone patrol officers concerning problems they encounter. It is also important to note existing traffic control devices, pavement markings, and road classifications (local, collector, and arterial).

Finally, administrators need to analyze the factors that impact citizens on a more personal level. These include the placement of public transportation stops; the availability of safe parking, school zones, and bus stops; pedestrian counts; and the condition of roads and sidewalks.

Traffic

Part of the neighborhood analysis requires considering what traffic control methods currently exist and what changes or additions should be made. The goal is to control the flow of traffic effectively, while increasing the overall effectiveness of enforcement efforts.

Early liaison with the local traffic engineering department can save police officials many hours of frustrating effort in the area of traffic control, because this department approves any sign or roadway change. And, in many jurisdictions, the engineering department has access to automated or computerized traffic counters, roadway volume data, construction schedules, past traffic flow, and design data.

No road design or traffic control changes should be made until the neighborhood analysis is complete and the citizens have been offered ample opportunity for public discussion on the matter. However, missing or defaced traffic control devices, street signs, and pavement markings require immediate corrective action.

Crime Prevention

Any traffic analysis should be performed in conjunction with a crime prevention analysis of the target area. Both components are critical to gain a total neighborhood picture.

In some instances, an examination of motor, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic provides clues for effective crime prevention or solution strategies. In other instances, an area's social analysis, studied in combination with the traffic analysis, supplies answers that help to reduce or eliminate neighborhood problems.

For example, a row of houses or apartments occupied primarily by residents who depend on public transportation should have a bus stop nearby. If the neighborhood analysis reveals that this is not the case, officials can assist the residents by working with transportation officials to install a new bus stop close to the housing area. Reducing the distance citizens must travel to public transportation lessens the chances of their being victimized. This, in turn, lowers their feelings of frustration and builds further confidence in law enforcement's commitment to improve the quality of life within the neighborhood.

Once officials gather and analyze information on the target area, they should issue a written report of their findings. Such reports offer valuable insights into the nature of existing traffic problems, as well as possible solutions to these problems. Officials can then decide what changes they should implement to restore safety and order to the neighborhoods.

IMPLEMENTING CHANGE

After analyzing the data, it is critical to implement changes first in those areas experiencing the most serious traffic problems. Reducing the number of violations in problem areas will have an immediate positive affect on the neighborhood as a whole.