NCJ Number
210352
Date Published
August 2004
Length
32 pages
Annotation
This final report describes a problem-oriented policing project undertaken by the Raleigh Police Department (RPD) on the problem of residential speeding in the city.
Abstract
The project, supported by funding from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), was designed to apply the information from selected Problem-Oriented Guides for Police (POP Guide) to actual crime and disorder problems, in this case, the problem of speeding in residential areas of Raleigh, NC. The project topic was selected through a survey of RPD employees and a corresponding POP Guide was distributed to project members. The problem-solving effort undertaken by the RPD focused on reducing speeding in 1 school zone where over 3,500 students attend 3 adjacent schools. Data analyzed included empirical information on traffic volume and speeds in each locations; speeding citations; driver surveys; and speed studies conducted by the RPD in the targeted areas. The findings revealed that most speeders were parents of students attending the schools, while commuters only accounted for a small part of the problem. The response was to target likely speeders; RPD distributed flyers on speeding risks to parents in carpool lanes and erected speed display signs. The project successfully reduced speeding by more than half following the educational effort. The study also had an impact on police, teaching them the principles of problem-oriented policing. Appendixes