CONTROVERSIES SURROUNDING POLICE TRAFFIC SURVEILLANCE - ARE THE POLICE DOING IT ALL WRONG?

• NCJ Number: 69106
• Journal: POLIZEI TECHNIK VERKEHR Dated: (MAY 5, 1977) Pages: 169-170,172-178
• Author(s): W KULLIK
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 9 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: German
• Country: West Germany (Former)

Annotation

THE POSITIVE AND THE NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF WEST GERMAN TRAFFIC SURVEILLANCE AND EFFORTS TO IMPROVE POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS ARE OUTLINED.

Abstract

BECAUSE OF THE RECENT UNPOPULARITY OF POLICE MEASURES, WEST GERMAN EFFORTS TO CONTROL TRAFFIC BEHAVIOR AND ACCIDENT RATES HAVE BEEN CRITICIZED, DESPITE THE RELATIVE LENIENCY OF POLICE TRAFFIC LAW ENFORCEMENT. A NEW SET OF TRAFFIC RULES IS DESIGNED TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS: THE CITIZEN-POLICE CONFRONTATION IS ACTUALLY A CONFRONTATION OF CITIZENS WITH THE LAW. PRACTICE HAS SHOWN THAT TRAFFIC SURVEILLANCE AND REPRESSIVE MEASURES REALLY DO ENCOURAGE MOTORISTS TO OBEY TRAFFIC RULES. POLICE ARE FREQUENTLY CRITICIZED FOR PETTINESS, BUT IF THEY DO NOT CORRECT THE EVERYDAY MISTAKES WHICH CREEP INTO INDIVIDUALS' DRIVING HABITS, ACCIDENTS WILL BECOME MORE COMMON. ALTHOUGH MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THE POLICE SHOULD INSTRUCT INSTEAD OF ISSUING TICKETS, SUCH A POLICY IS INEFFECTIVE, AS SEVERAL EXAMPLES ILLUSTRATE. POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT THROUGH PRAISE OF SAFE DRIVERS IS IMPRACTICAL BECAUSE OF DEMANDS ON POLICE PERSONNEL DEMANDS AND POSSIBLE INJUSTICES PERPETRATED FROM A LACK OF INFORMATION ABOUT SO-CALLED GOOD DRIVERS. SURVEILLANCE FROM HIDDEN SQUAD CARS IS CRITICIZED, BUT IS THE MOST EFFICIENT USE OF AVAILABLE MANPOWER RESOURCES. SURVEYING ONLY PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SECTIONS OF ROADWAY GIVES MOTORISTS THE FALSE IMPRESSION THAT THEY DO NOT NEED TO OBEY RULES ON OTHER STRETCHES. WHILE PUBLICITY ON GENERAL PREVENTIVE EFFORTS CAN BE HELPFUL IN REDUCING ACCIDENTS, PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT OF SPECIFIC RADAR TRAPS DEFEATS THE PURPOSE OF SURVEILLANCE. IMPROVEMENT OF THE POLICE-CITIZEN RELATIONSHIP IN TRAFFIC MATTERS REQUIRES A BASIC CHANGE IN THE ATTITUDE OF MOTORISTS TOWARD DRIVING. SUCH ATTITUDE CHANGES MUST BE PROMPTED BY MEASURES OF AGENCIES OTHER THAN THE POLICE, E.G., REVIEW OF THE LEGAL NECESSITY FOR CRIMINALIZING CERTAIN OFFENSES, RETHINKING POLICIES FOR RELAXATION OF SURVEILLANCE, PROPER MARKING OF CONSTRUCTION ZONES, CLEAR GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR STRICT ENFORCEMENT, AND DEFINITION OF THE POLICE SURVEILLANCE ROLE. TABLES AND ILLUSTRATIONS ARE SUPPLIED. --IN GERMAN.