Cranford Police Department 2011 Annual Report - Cranford.com

Traffic Division
Cranford Police Department Traffic Division
The Traffic Division is comprised of a
supervisor, two traffic detectives, two traffic
maintenance personnel, one meter
enforcement officer, and fourteen school
crossing guards.
The Cranford Police Department Traffic
Division utilizes the three “E’s” of traffic
safety (Education, Enforcement, and
Engineering) to formulate a comprehensive
traffic safety plan for the Township.
CRASHES
Traffic personnel review every crash report
written by patrol officers and conduct any
follow up investigation that may be
necessary. Each report is entered into a
database program that allows us to identify
trends around the township and determine
crash causation. In addition, all crashes are
pinned on a map of the township located in
the Traffic Division office.
EDUCATION
The Cranford Police Department works
energetically to insure safe practices by the
users of our roadways through multiple
“education” initiatives. Educational
programs in the schools include such topics
as Driving While Under the Influence, Teen
Driving, Bicycle Rodeos, Bicycle Safety and
Registrations, Pedestrian Safety, Don’t Talk
To Strangers, and Use of School Crossing
Guards.
Other educational programs administered
by the Traffic Division include the HERO
Designate Driver Campaign, WHALE Child
Safety Campaign, PACE Car Program, Keep
Kids Alive Drive 25 Campaign and the Alive
at 25 Parent Program.
Detective Steven Toy is responsible for
organizing and conducting bicycle and
pedestrian safety lectures as well as bicycle
rodeos at every grammar school in Cranford.
Detective Toy also provides training to the
school crossing guards every year.
Detective Lieutenant Edward Davenport
provides training to local parents with the
Alive at 25 Program.
ENFORCEMENT
The “enforcement” of our laws ensures that
the education is carried out.
Detective Luedecker conducts selective
enforcement assignments as his primary
assignment within Traffic. The division also
issues Traffic Enforcement Bulletins to the
Patrol Division so they can focus their own
selective enforcement efforts where they
are needed most. When crashes occur, it is
usually because of a type of careless
operation. Due to the severe injuries that
occur during high speed crashes, we are
constantly enforcing the speed laws.
The department continues to use the Speed
Trailer, Speed Dolly, and LED Speed Sentrys
on township roadways to alert drivers of
their speed. After the trailer/dolly is on the
roadway for a few days, it is then removed
and followed up by radar enforcement.
These signs are very effective in bringing
speed compliance to neighborhood streets.
In fact, studies have shown that use of these
speed displays have a better and longer
term effect on speeding than strictly
enforcement.
The Traffic Division monitors the number of
cars using a given roadway, their speeds,
Cranford Police Department—2011 Annual Report 33