Arlington Police Department Launches High-Visibility Traffic Enforcement Campaign

For Immediate Release
Monday, April 6, 2015

Contact: Captain Richard Flynn, PIO
Office: 781-316-3907
Cell: 781-844-1224
Email: rflynn@town.arlington.ma.us

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Arlington Police Department Launches High-Visibility Traffic Enforcement Campaign

ARLINGTON – Chief Frederick Ryan reports this spring the Arlington Police Department will begin an enhanced traffic enforcement initiative aimed at proactively enforcing traffic laws with the goal of increasing safety for all who make use of the roadways in town.
The campaign, called “Operation Safe Streets” will focus on several cornerstones of traffic enforcement and community policing including:

• Speed enforcement
• Failure to obey traffic signals
• Failure to obey stop signs
• Seatbelt violations
• Ensuring the safety of pedestrians crossing the street

The Department will also be on the lookout for signs of distracted driving such as texting while driving.

This week, Operation Safe Streets will begin its focus on numerous geographical areas within the community. Officers on the streets will be making regular traffic stops, which will not only enforce the traffic laws but also maintain a visible police presence on town roads, serving as a crime deterrent.

Using historical and current crash data, extra Arlington Police Officers will be deployed with the sole purpose of traffic enforcement. The times and locations of the extra enforcement will vary, and digital message boards will be used to inform the motoring public that they are driving in a high enforcement area.

Officers will be in marked units and unmarked vehicles. The department may also make use of “pedestrian decoys,” where an officer in civilian clothing will walk the crosswalk and call out drivers who fail to yield the right of way to a pedestrian in the crosswalk. This type of operation has proven to be very successful in the past to heighten public awareness and educate drivers on the importance of pedestrian safety.

“Operation Safe Streets represents the bringing together of several highly effective initiatives that the Arlington Police Department has deployed in the past,” Chief Ryan said. “They are aimed at not just aggressively enforcing the traffic laws but also fostering a culture of safety on Arlington roadways.”

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