Lonview: Traffic safety campaign results
Published: Mon, 11/21/22
Pump the Brakes initiative: Crashes down, red light citations way up
Yoleyne Romero yromero@news-journal.com
Six months after a first-of-its-kind traffic campaign was launched by the Longview Police Department, data shows that red light citations are up and vehicle crashes are down.
Following a number of deadly motorcycle crashes in the city, Police Chief Anthony Boone announced at a City Council meeting in May the launch of Operation: Pump the Brakes. The campaign is an effort to make the city’s roads safer by focusing enforcement on speeding, racing and red-light violations.
Police Spokesman Brandon Thornton said he didn't think the department had ever done this type of campaign in the past.
"Have we done enforcement in specific areas that we've found there was a problem? Absolutely," Thornton said.
He explained that the traffic division of the department uses a grant from the Texas Department of Transportation known as the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) grant for traffic safety.
Statistics from the police department represent comparable figures for five months with one data set ranging from May 2021 to September 2021 and the other from May 2022 to September 2022.
There were 203 recorded red-light citations in the five-month period in 2021. In contrast, this number jumps by 254% with a total of 719 red light citations being recorded in five months this year. These citations include motorists who ran red lights and/or disregarded stop and go signals.
A note from the department states that red light enforcement has been a strategic focus of the campaign to mitigate vehicle crashes.
"From May through September (2022) there has been over a 2½-times increase in violations; however, we are seeing a trend of these violations tapering down," per the data.
Thornton said he believed there is a direct correlation between implementation of the campaign and the number of increased citations.
Stats related to loud noise/exhaust citations show two cases last year and 14 this year. This includes disorderly conduct charges for unreasonable noise and city ordinances related to loud exhaust and loud, raucous noise.
While he couldn't be certain the campaign was related to the massive increase in loud noise citations, Thornton said it could have something to do with officers witnessing the problem as they've been enforcing city ordinances.
"It could be part of us going out there while we're attempting to find people racing," he said.Speeding citations are also down across the board. In 2021 speeding citations clocked in at 1,273 over a five-month period while the recorded number for this year was 1,084 — a decrease of 15%.
A note from the department states that due to personnel shortages, patrol continues to be a focal point while specialty units have operated with fewer.
"Patrol has continued traffic enforcement efforts while the PD Traffic unit officers have reduced from seven in Sept. 2021 to four in Sept. 22'," per the data.
Vehicle crashes are down from last year with 1,080 in 2021 and 966 this year — an 11% reduction. Thornton noted that while this percentage may seem low, it's still a notable change.
"Eleven percent doesn't really sound like much but when your crashes are going down, that's always a positive thing," he said.
Finally, the number of racing cases in five months is up by 25% with four cases recorded last year and five this year.
Reviewing the stats, Thornton said he believed the campaign has accomplished what Boone wanted it to- lowering the number of crashes throughout the city. After being in affect for six months, he stated there is no end-date in sight for the campaign.