Traffic Section

Mission
The mission of the Lynnwood Police Department Traffic Section is to promote and provide a safe transportation environment to motorists, pedal cyclists, and pedestrians through education, engineering, and
enforcement to improve the quality of life of our citizens.

Supplementary functions of this mission include traffic enforcement; collision prevention and investigation; impaired driver enforcement; traffic control at civic functions, parades and processions; responding to high
priority patrol calls when available; community traffic complaint investigations; child safety restraint training and seat installations; photo red light enforcement and review, and other traffic related training.

Personnel

Traffic Officer Cole Langdon monitoring traffic speed and crosswalk safety

The traffic section is comprised of two full-time Sergeants, eight full-time motor officers and one night shift
DUI/drug recognition expert (DRE).

Activity and Accomplishments

	2007	2008	% Change
Accident Totals	1,637	1,456	-11%
Collision Statistics
Roadway Collisions	1,281	1,103	-14%
Private Property Collisions	356	353	-1%
Total Collisions	1,637	1,456	-11%
Injury Collisions	338	386	14%
Fatal Collisions	1	0	-100%
Pedestrian/Cyclist Involved	7	13	86%
Traffic Section Statistical Activity
Notice of Infraction	9,287	10,337	11%
Criminal Traffic Citations	477	434	-9
Criminal Traffic Charges	553	557	na
Criminal Non-Traffic Citations	67	107	60%
Criminal Non-Traffic Charges	88	135	53%
Reports	1,481	1,658	12%

In 2008, the Traffic Section continued to enhance its relationship with the State’s Traffic Safety Commission. The supervisors have taken an active role in the commission’s regularly scheduled meetings, and have become an integral part in their decision making, which directly affects funding and resource allocation to Lynnwood.

Traffic Officer Mark Brinkman remains a leader in DUI enforcement. Officer Brinkman has been recognized nationally and locally for his excellent efforts in removing impaired drivers from our roadways. Traffic officers continued to teach at Lynnwood University and the Citizen’s Academy. The officers also conducted presentations at a number of local high schools, Edmonds Community College and Shoreline Community College. Traffic officers provided weekly child car seat inspections and installations for our citizens. The traffic section demonstrates great community support by assisting in events such as the annual Rotary 5K and 10K run, traffic calming ribbon cutting events, local public motorcycle safety demonstrations, the Evergreen State Fair traffic safety booth, and the Marysville Strawberry Festival.

Every citizen who filed a traffic complaint received a return phone call, email or personal visit from a traffic officer or a unit supervisor. The radar speed warning trailers were deployed throughout the city to areas of concern that had experienced complaints of speeding traffic. Every citizen request for the radar trailer was granted providing the area allowed for the trailers to be deployed. The Traffic Section hosted two basic motorcycle operator courses, and a basic collision investigation course, which were attended by 13 agencies.

Throughout 2008, various members of the Traffic Section were assigned to the Patrol Division as full-time field training officers (FTO’s). Other officers were also temporarily assigned as trainers in the areas of EVOC, defensive tactics (DT), range, drug recognition expert (DRE), collision investigation and motorcycle
instructors. It is evident that while collateral assignments necessarily reduced the effectiveness and efficiency of the Traffic Section however, the section was still able to achieve its primary goal of collision reduction.

Education, engineering and enforcement are the three vehicles utilized in accomplishing the Traffic Section’s mission. In 2008, the unit’s enforcement efforts ccounted for 10,337 notice of infractions (NOI’s), 434 criminal traffic citations and 135 criminal non-traffic citations. The Traffic Section was also responsible for the review of photo generated red light violations. This program yielded 28,056 reviews, which accounted for nearly 650 (manpower) hours; over twice the amount of reviews and hours as compared to 2007.