Santa Fe officers ticket dozens of drivers in first week of traffic enforcement crackdown
After rolling down the driver's side window of his police cruiser, Maes monitored the early morning traffic on southbound
The wait was brief.
Within a matter of minutes, a speeding motorist caught Maes' attention.
"This guy is going 53," Maes said of a white sedan traveling nearly 20 mph over the posted speed limit.
"After all these weeks since that crash, just that specific intersection, it's still happening," Maes said later, referring to the two-vehicle collision
Traffic infractions are happening all over
Hoping to curb what it called "the dangerous driving habits taking place on our streets," the
"We want to get people invested for the long run to say, 'You know what? I need to make sure that I take into account that my driving does affect not only me but others around me,' " Deputy Chief
Ten police officers, including five traffic officers who had been assigned to patrol to alleviate a staffing shortage, will focus on traffic enforcement at known trouble spots. They will be looking for a wide range of traffic violations, from speeding and running red lights to texting while driving and not wearing seat belts.
"We're going to be expanding our overtime opportunities for our patrol officers as well to get out there and contribute," Valdez said, adding the department set aside
In addition, the traffic safety initiative will include a series of saturation patrols and checkpoints targeting drunken drivers.
So far, the police department is pleased with the results of the new initiative. In the first six days of Operation Spring Blitz, which has been initially focused on the
Though the crash that killed the Archuletas was tragic and troubling, police said unmistakable trends prompted the need for a renewed effort. Police said in a news release that a "significant increase" in both car accidents and fatalities, as well as a steady drop in the number of citations in the past 10 years, required the city "to mount a serious response."
Between 2009 and 2018, the number of motor vehicle crashes in
The number of fatal car crashes fluctuates annually, but it seems clear
Between 2009 and 2013, police reported 22 fatalities resulting from motor vehicle crashes. Between 2014 and 2018, the number grew to 34, a nearly 55 percent increase.
At the same time, the number of citations issued by
For example, police issued 41,188 citations in 2009. Last year, they handed out 17,353, a nearly 58 percent drop, though the number of citations handed out annually fluctuates, too.
The police department initially assembled the statistics as part of a controversial proposal to bring back unmanned vehicles that photograph speeding motorists, which are commonly referred to as speed vans.
Amid opposition from the public and members of the
"We are focusing on efforts with our officers right now," the department said in a news release at the time. "We'll be evaluating Operation Spring Blitz first, before we look at using technology."
The city first deployed mobile speed vans in 2009 but ended the program in 2013 when the city allowed its contract with
Four years later, in 2017, a divided
Police didn't submit a proposal for consideration until March. Reasons for the delay were many, including changes in leadership at
While the police department backed off the proposal, police brass made the case for reviving the program in a 13-page report provided to the governing body.
In some years, the speed vans accounted for nearly a third of all citations issued by
"Having a uniformed officer patrol officer at an intersection around the clock, or stationed in one location all day and night, is unrealistic and unreasonable," the report states. "The speed vans are capable of issuing citations [year-round] without utilizing an officer."
For now, though, a living, breathing human being will have to do the job.
"We need to make our streets safer," Mayor
"I don't want to read about another father and son killed in a car crash or people injured and maimed by a reckless driver," he said, adding he hoped to see a dramatic reduction in speeding and dangerous driving.
Based on a short ride-along with Officer Maes last week, the police department has its work cut out.
Maes, a
"I think a lot of it has to do with technology," he said. "I've noticed that a lot of people are consistently on their phone, and I've seen this all the way from teenagers up to middle-aged people, even elderly.
"People don't realize that they're constantly checking their phone, and they almost get into like a daze when they're driving. Before you know it, they can travel hundreds of feet while they're looking at their cellphone and don't even realize it."
Maes said catching people breaking the rules of the road is almost effortless.
"I've seen women putting on makeup while they're driving -- that's been happening for years, but I've seen that quite a bit," he said, smiling. "Speeding quite a bit. Something as simple as using your turn signal. That'll catch my attention. Any of these infractions can lead to someone with no insurance, no registration. Even a lot recently, no licenses."
During a roughly one-hour period starting at dusk, Maes stopped four motorists on
"But if I do see him again [talking on his phone while driving], I will cite him," Maes said.
Maes said he recently issued 17 traffic citations during a four-hour period. The number of citations he issues on any given day varies depending on what other duties he's juggling, he said.
Asked whether he felt he was making
"I'm hoping that what I'm doing is making a difference," he said. "It's my goal. Whether or not it works, we'll see."
You've been warned,
As the police department continues to beef up its traffic enforcement, it may be the only warning you get.
Follow Daniel J. Chacón on Twitter @danieljchacon.
Number of motor vehicle crashes
2009: 2,203
2010: 2,290
2011: 2,160
2012: 2,517
2013: 2,585
2014: 2,620
2015: 3,092
2016: 3,162
2017: 3,206
2018: 3,164
Citywide citations
2009: 41,188
2010: 31,839
2011: 21,313
2012: 23,297
2013: 38,196
2014: 45,769
2015: 34,425
2016: 29,113
2017: 24,161
2018: 17,353
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