CITY OF TACOMA SELECTIVE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM (STEP) - FINAL REPORT

• NCJ Number: 45608
• Author(s): R H MCCONNELL; N A DAVID
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 90 pages
• Contract Number(s): DOT-HS-225-2-385
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Admin
• Corporate Author: Stanford Research Institute
• Sale Source: National Technical Information Service; National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE SELECTIVE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM OF THE CITY OF TACOMA, WASHINGTON, DESIGNED TO EXAMINE METHODS OF SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO ACCIDENTS, IS DESCRIBED AND EVALUATED.

Abstract

THE PHILOSOPHY OF ENFORCEMENT DEVELOPED DURING THE PROGRAM INVOLVED IMPROVED OFFICER-VIOLATOR RELATIONSHIPS AND INCLUDED THE USE OF VERBAL CONTACTS AND A GREATLY EXPANDED PUBLIC INFORMATION EFFORT DESIGNED TO RAISE THE PUBLIC'S AWARENESS OF POTENTIAL ACCIDENT-CAUSING BEHAVIOR. THE BENEFITS TO A POLICE ADMINISTRATOR OF THIS TYPE OF PROGRAM WERE SEEN IN THE AREA OF IMPROVED PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR AND UNDERSTANDNG OF BOTH THE ENFORCEMENT OPERATION AND THE INDIVIDUAL TRAFFIC OFFICER. THE PRORAM WAS CONDUCTED AS A SERIES OF EXPERIMENTS. THE DEGREE OF PENALTY SEVERITY, METHODS OF VIOLATOR CONTACT, OFFICER VEHICLE VISIBILITY, OFFICER SCHEDULING, DRIVER ATTITUDES TOWARD THE PROGRAM, AND EFFECTS ON FUTURE DRIVING BEHAVIOR WERE EXAMINED IN DETAIL. EFFECTS OF THE VARIOUS METHODS ON ACCIDENTS WERE STUDIED AT A LOCAL LEVEL AND ON A CITYWIDE BASIS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED -- VA)