NCJ Number
206929
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 71 Issue: 7 Dated: July 2004 Pages: 28-33
Date Published
July 2004
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article reports on the findings and recommendations to date of the International Association of Chiefs of Police's Law Enforcement Stops and Safety Subcommittee (LESSS), which has been assigned the task of improving officer safety during traffic stops and other roadside contacts.
Abstract
The Highway Environment and Design Group (HEDG) of the LESSS has focused on highway engineering, the visibility of officers, the incident management system, and legislative action. Regarding highway engineering, the HEDG encourages law enforcement executives to become active with their highway planning and design units to incorporate necessary safety features in initial highway design plans. Regarding the visibility of officers during roadside stops and incidents, the HEDG recommends the extended closure of a traffic lane or shoulder when officers are engaged in tasks that require prolonged exposure on high-speed highways. The HEDG notes that the development and implementation of comprehensive management strategies can greatly reduce the potential for injury to on-the-scene workers responsible for responding to, handling, and clearing highway incidents. Among the legislative actions proposed by the HEDG is the requirement that motorists move into the middle or left lane as they approach a police vehicle or officer on the shoulder of a highway. The Policy and Procedure Group (PPG) of the LESSS is studying collision prevention strategies and identifying best practices for safe traffic stops and other roadside contacts. Recommendations by this group focus on the development of and training in procedures for safe traffic stops. The training should address fundamental procedures regarding location selection, vehicle placement and orientation, officer position, and approach to the violator. Adherence to the adopted policies should be constantly monitored. This article concludes with a report on the work of the LESSS's Vehicle Group, which has focused on safety issues in vehicle design and vehicle equipment. 11 notes