Officers scribbling tickets at record pace
The city's traffic unit is targeting school zones and major intersections with one thing in mind: safety.
By LORRI HELFAND
Published October 25, 2005
LARGO - Speeders and red light runners, take heed. The Largo Police Department's traffic unit has been cracking down, issuing a record number of tickets for moving violations last month.
In September, officers wrote 2,489 tickets, 527 more than they did in April, the second-busiest month so far this year.
"We had the entire traffic safety unit hitting the major MPO intersections and school crossings," said patrol Capt. Glen Smith.
In 2003, the Pinellas County Metropolitan Planning Organization found that nine of the county's most accident-prone intersections were in Largo.
To monitor school zones and scout out dangerous intersections, the city's traffic safety unit pooled all six of its officers, including two full-time officers who usually dedicate all of their time to DUI enforcement, Smith said.
So far this year, 15,831 citations have been issued, up from 13,419 last year and 11,016 in 2003.
In fiscal year 2005, the city brought in $449,000 in traffic fines, compared with $332,392 for fiscal year 2003.
"The money is nice, but it's more about making sure people are doing the right things on the road," said Steve Ross, assistant to the city manager.
The department formed a traffic safety unit three years ago in response to residents' concerns about accidents and speeding.
Largo also has another tool in the works to catch motorists who run red lights.
Soon, the city plans to install indicators on certain traffic lights. The white lights, attached to the bottom of signals, are visible from any direction. The lights will flash on when traffic lights turn red. The indicators will allow officers to see from any vantage point whether drivers are running red lights.
About 30 intersections in Pinellas have similar indicators, according to Florida Department of Transportation figures earlier this year. In 2001, the city of Clearwater became the first in Florida to use the white light indicators.
"It makes a big difference," Smith said. "There are a lot of places where you can't get in a safe place to sit and monitor traffic. The light gives you another option. You have to be able to pull out without causing too much havoc."
--Lorri Helfand can be reached at 445-4155 or at lorri@sptimes.com