Drive Drunk & Go Directly To Jail !

-->

The Longmont Police Department Traffic Unit serves the citizens of Longmont in all phases of traffic enforcement, accident investigation, public education and accident prevention.  The Longmont Police Department Traffic Unit, under the direction of Sergeant Bruce Wittich, has two primary responsibilities.  Investigating traffic collisions and enforcing traffic laws. Yes, enforcing traffic laws usually means issuing citations. However, statistics show that an increase in enforcement tends to lead to a decrease in traffic collisions.

Our traffic unit consists of five patrol officers, two Community Service Officers, and one Sergeant.  The traffic officers monitor traffic patterns throughout the city, looking for potential problem areas. They are also the on scene investigator at most accidents. Their primary responsibility at the scene of a collision is to first identify any victims and tend to their injuries. Once the accident investigation has concluded, the officers will file the necessary traffic accident report, which will summarize the incident and determine a cause.

Officers in the Traffic Unit use a variety of sophisticated equipment in the investigation of serious or fatal accidents.  Accidents are diagramed.  These diagrams are used to determine vehicle speeds and directions of travel and other contributing factors. Complex algebraic, geometric, and trigonometric calculations are performed during the course of the investigations. In order to better understand and investigate collisions, skilled traffic officers are trained and educated in various fields of science, including kinetics and Newtonian physics.  Their training often allows them to be considered “experts” when testifying in court.

Assignment to the Traffic Unit is currently limited to a 5 year tour.  It is highly prized and sought after position. The officers who are lucky enough to be chosen are selected on the merits of their past performance as Police Officers. They must be extremely motivated self starters who can work well with minimal direction.  All of the officers assigned to the Traffic Unit take their jobs seriously.  They see first hand the devastation and tragedy that can result from negligent, criminal or thoughtless acts committed behind the wheel. They commit themselves to pro-actively addressing the various causes of traffic related deaths and injuries. It is an unfortunate reality that the most effective way to modify bad driving habits is through a strong enforcement profile.  This leads to what is called in police work as "negative contacts".

Nobody likes to get a ticket and the men and women in law enforcement are made painfully aware of this on many occasions. Officers assigned to the Traffic Unit have asked to be there. They strongly believe they can make a difference. They realize they probably will not win many popularity contests, but studies have proven time and time again that what they do will help to make our community a safer place to live in. They all accept the necessity of what they do and strive to present a strong, professional enforcement posture.

In an effort to reduce traffic collisions, accident trends are tracked and enforcement efforts are focused in those areas found to be prone to collisions. Officers enforce traffic laws aimed at reducing collision and injury rates using vehicles equipped with radar or laser speed determining devices.  All of our officers who use this equipment have completed State approved instruction and have been tested on their ability to accurately use it.

Often times Longmont citizens make special patrol requests for traffic problems in their neighborhood.  The Traffic Unit wants to hear from citizens regarding any perceived traffic problems. These problems are logged by the Traffic Sergeant and assigned to traffic and Patrol Division beat officers to work.  Traffic and beat officers try to work their directed patrol areas when time and call load allow.  The officers track their time and enforcement actions on a log, which is given to the Traffic Sergeant at the end of the assignment period.  If deemed necessary, the unit will pool its resources and assign the entire unit to a specific area and employ zero tolerance enforcement.

The Traffic Unit would like to thank all of the citizens of Longmont who have helped us in the past. We truly appreciate your concerns regarding traffic safety hazards found in our city. Longmont continues to grow at a phenomenal rate. We face heavier and heavier traffic congestion as a result of this growth. This presents us with numerous challenges. As Traffic Officers, it is our duty to address these challenges. We ask for your assistance in helping us to make the streets safer for all of us. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any suggestions or problems. Working together, we can make a difference.  You can contact the Traffic Unit at 303-651-8862.

A traffic stop is one of the most frequent encounters between citizens and police. Usually, police officers will pull a vehicle over if they have reason to believe that some offense has occurred. You may feel anxious, irritated at the delay, or concerned about a possible citation. However, officers are also concerned about possible threats to their personal safety while performing their duties.  The following recommended procedures will ensure that the traffic stop can be completed quickly and safely. This is not provided as a legal advisory but as a courtesy to you.

• When signaled by an officer, safely pull over to a place out of traffic flow.
• Sit calmly, with your hands visible on the steering wheel.
• If you have passengers, ask them to sit quietly with their hands visible.
• Avoid sudden movements or ducking in the seat; these actions can unnecessarily alarm the officer.
• If it is dark, turn on your inside light when you pull the car over.
• For safety reasons, the officer will want to visually scan the cars interior before proceeding.
• Do not exit your car unless the officer asks you to step out. If you are asked to do so, comply in a calm manner. A sure way to put an officer at ease is to communicate what you are doing.
• If the officer asks for something, and that item is in your glove compartment, tell the officer it is in there before you reach for it.
• If you receive a citation, accepting it is not an admission of guilt, but an acknowledgment that you have received the citation.
• A courtroom is the place to air arguments or protests about the citation, not on the street with the officer.
• If you are stopped for speeding, you have the right to request a check of the radar, but you do not have the right to see the radar unit. This is for your safety and the safety of the officer.

The Longmont Police Department is aware of the serious threat drunk or impaired drivers pose to the public.  An intoxicated or impaired driver moving three thousand plus pounds of steel down the street is a frightening thought and a real danger.  Yet it happens every hour of the day every day of the week.  In an effort to reduce impaired driving, alcohol related crashes and apprehend DUI drivers all Longmont Police Officers are trained and certified in the detection of impaired drivers.  Officers are required to be proficient in detecting DUI drivers, administering field sobriety tests and to be certified in the operation of the intoxilyzer.

Studies indicate the majority of arrested first offender DUIs do not become repeat offenders.  The embarrassment and the legal and financial impact on the offender generally serves as a deterrent.  Additionally public awareness over recent years of the strict stand taken by law enforcement has reduced the number of intoxicated or impaired drivers on our roads.  That may sound like good news, and it is, but the sad fact is there are many others who ignore the potential legal and financial consequences. 

There are others who we would classify as hardcore drunk drivers.  In all likelihood they are alcoholics who could care less that their behavior is criminal and dangerous.  These people generally drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of twice the legal limit or more. Typically they have more than one DUI conviction. They are 200 times more likely to kill on the road than the average non-drinking driver.  In 2001, there were 17,448 alcohol-related fatalities and approximately 275,000 injuries nationwide. Fifty-eight percent of these incidents involved drivers with a blood alcohol concentration of .15 or above.  A large jump in the crash data at the .10 BAC level shows that drivers with a BAC between .10 and .14 are 48 times more likely to be involved in a crash. However, drivers with a BAC of .15 are 385 times more likely to be involved in a crash. Further, 58% of drivers involved in alcohol-related fatalities in 2001 were hardcore drunk drivers.

After a period of decline alcohol related traffic fatalities have been on a steady rise in Colorado since 1999.  In 2001, 267 people were killed on Colorado roads in alcohol related accidents.  Eleven of those occurred in Boulder County.   There are 35,000 to 40,000 DUI arrests annually in Colorado. During their life one of every two drivers will be involved in a crash involving an intoxicated driver.  On a typical Friday or Saturday evening one of every seven drivers is intoxicated.  You could be their next victim.

The Longmont Police Department actively enforces the DUI laws.  The department annually receives LEAF grant monies to pay overtime which is used to place extra officers on the streets specifically for DUI enforcement.  The money to fund these LEAF grants comes from fines imposed on convicted drunk drivers and are not paid by taxpayer dollars.  These DUI Enforcement officers work shifts designed to match the prime hours and days for DUI offenders.  This department makes hundreds of DUI arrests annually in its effort to rid our streets of the dangerous threat posed by DUI drivers.  Impaired Driving is an unfortunate and irresponsible act, yet it is around us each and every day. Each of us who encounters an Impaired Driver has the obligation to report that dangerous driver for the sake of our family or someone else’s. With the proliferation of mobile/cellular phones, we have a great tool to help curb impaired drivers.

When you see an impaired driver and you have a mobile/cellular phone, please do the following steps:

Memorize the license plate of the vehicle and which state it is from.
Note the color, type, and make of the vehicle.
If possible, advise how many occupants of the vehicle.
Carefully dial 911 or the telephone # of the nearest police/highway patrol station.
Advise the dispatcher/call taker of a possible Impaired Driver.
Provide them with a brief description of the dangerous driving.
It will also help to provide your name and telephone # in case the arresting officer needs more information         

 Please DO NOT do any of the following:

 Attempt to confront the dangerous driver if they should stop.
 Drive in an unsafe manner in an attempt to keep up with the impaired driver. 

The above information you provide will help law enforcement officers remove these dangerous and impaired drivers from the road!

Total Fatalities / Fatality Rates

• Over 50% of all fatal highway crashes involving two or more cars are alcohol related.
• Over 65% of all fatal single car crashes are alcohol related.
• Over 36% percent of all adult pedestrian accidents are alcohol related.
• 80% of all fatal alcohol related auto crashes occur between 8 pm and 8 am.
• 36% of all adult pedestrian accidents involve an intoxicated pedestrian.

Arrest / Characteristics of Alcohol Impaired Drivers

 Young people! Click on the Reeper!

Click here to see: Colorado DUI Laws

Don't Drink & Drive!!  The Life You Take May Be Your Own!!

Click her to return to top of page

Please sign our Guestbook

  Executive Board | News Page | FOP Grand Lodge | Colorado FOP Lodge | FOP Lodge 3 | Events

 In Memory | Links | Public Forum

This is a privately owned website.

Although most of the people involved with this website are employed as Longmont Police Officers.  The Longmont Police Department is not responsible for its construction, content, or operation.

The FOP star logo, the FOP scroll logo, the name "Fraternal Order of Police" and the name "FOP" are registered trademarks of the Grand Lodge Fraternal Order of Police. The use or reproduction of the FOP name or logo is forbidden without the express written consent of the Grand Lodge Fraternal Order of Police

LPOA Webmaster

Webmaster@Longmontpolice.com
 Copyright © 2003 by Longmont Police Officer's Association  All rights reserved.
 Revised: 08/24/07 20:02:48 -0400.