NCSO Collects Traffic Statistics On Fatalities, DUIs In Quest For GrantBy Tammy Gray-Searles Navajo County Sheriff Gary Butler recently provided traffic statistics for 2005 for the unincorporated areas of Navajo County, including alcohol related fatalities, DUI arrests and related fatalities. The statistics are part of a request for grant funding from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. If received, the grant would be used to purchase 11 new radar units and 10 digital mobile video cameras. According to Navajo County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) Deputy Commander Kelly Clark, both the radar units and VHS video recording systems currently being used by the department are antiquated and unreliable. Clark estimates that new equipment would reduce speed related collisions by five percent, and would increase credibility in court cases by 30 percent. The total cost of the new equipment is $71,042, and would be completely funded by the grant, if it is awarded. The statistics only include traffic incidents handled by NCSO, and not those investigated by city police officers or the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS). The most significant increase in traffic-related incidents for NCSO was DUI arrests, with a total of 377 in 2005. In 2004, NCSO made 342 DUI arrests and in 2003, 275. Of the DUI arrests made in 2005, five involved offenders under the age of 21. In 2004, only one underage offender was arrested and in 2003, three underage offenders were arrested. Alcohol related fatalities were down by four, with seven in 2005 and 11 in 2004. There were also seven alcohol related fatalities in 2003. The number of citations issued by NCSO for speeding dropped drastically in 2005, a trend which Clark attributed to outdated and unreliable radar equipment. In 2005, only five speeding citations were issued, with 30 issued in 2004 and 31 issued in 2003. |
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If new equipment is received, those numbers are expected to greatly increase. Clark noted that a new Traffic Enforcement Unit has been created in the hopes of decreasing the number of traffic accidents and fatalities in Navajo County. In 2005, NCSO handled eight speed related fatalities and two pedestrian fatalities. In 2004, there were only three speed related fatalities and two pedestrian fatalities. However, in 2003, there were nine speed related fatalities, two pedestrian fatalities and one bicycle fatality. There were no bicycle fatalities in 2004 or 2005. The number of aggressive driver citations has also decreased, with seven in 2005, 15 in 2004 and 12 in 2003. Clark and Butler are hopeful that new equipment, along with stricter enforcement in known problem areas, will help keep Navajo County’s roads safe. “Part
of the sheriff’s office mission is to keep the streets and
highways safe and to enforce criminal and traffic laws,”
Clark noted. This information is courtesy of http://www.azjournal.com |
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