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TRENTON - The number of traffic tickets issued by the Trenton Police plummeted in the last half of 2003. Compared to the same six-month period in 2002, drivers are 50% less likely to get a traffic ticket in the city. The statistics for driving while intoxicated (DWI) in Trenton are even more alarming. Sources inside the police department point to the dissolution of the Traffic Unit as the cause for the recent trends.
In May 2003, Director Santiago disbanded the Traffic Unit to free-up manpower for his new crime fighting programs. The reassignment of traffic officers allowed Santiago to fill positions in the newly created Metro, Crime Suppression and Mounted Patrol units. At the time, many officers viewed the move as detrimental to the safety of the residents of the city. The results of disbanding of the Traffic Unit are now being seen.
In addition to the obvious function of investigating motor vehicle accidents, the Traffic Unit was the primary source of enforcement for motor vehicle laws. The officers in the Traffic Unit issued the bulk of the summonses for speeding violations in Trenton. In addition to all of the officers being certified to operate the RADAR units, they were all breathalyzer operators, meaning they were trained and certified to test people who were believed to be driving while intoxicated (DWI).
One Trenton police commander told the K9News-Revival, “They were the heart, soul and body of traffic enforcement in Trenton. Patrol doesn’t have the time or resources to do what [the traffic unit] did.” The commander continued, “if you are driving drunk in the city, unless you screw-up, there is little chance you will get caught.”
According to police department records, the number of motor vehicle summonses issued from July through December 2003 dropped 48% as compared to the same period in 2002. This same period saw traffic accidents increase 34% in 2003, as compared to 2002.
The largest deviation from the previous year is seen in the category of DWI arrests. According to Trenton Municipal Court records, during the last six months of 2002 there were 205 DWI arrests in the city. During the same six-month period in 2003 there were only 67 persons arrested for DWI. This represents a 67.4% decrease in the number of DWI arrests in Trenton. The Municipal court records show all DWI arrests in the city and include DWI arrests made by other agencies. Hence, arrests by the state police are also included in the total, making the actual number of DWI arrests by the Trenton police lower.
Police records indicate that the department
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In 2003, DWI Arrests in Trenton dropped 67.4% under Santiago (left). The number of traffic tickets also dropped 48%, while accidents went up by 34% in 2003 (below). Of the 44 DWI arrests in 2003, 68% stemmed from traffic accidents (bottom).
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made 44 arrests for DWI during the last half of 2003. Of that number 30 (or 68.1%) involved a motor vehicle accident with more than half (16) of them involving injuries.
Another trend that insiders see as disturbing is the decrease in the level of pro-active enforcement of DWI laws. Of the 44 DWI arrests in the city from July through December 2003, only 12 were “officer initiated." The remaining 32 (or 72.7%) were the result of a call to the radio room by citizens reporting a DWI incident.
Historically the end of the year sees an increase in sobriety check point operations around the country as police try to make the roads safer for holiday drivers. However, in Trenton there were no such sobriety check points, nor were there roving patrols to detect drunk drivers.
"Political permission is needed to allow officers to do what they do best,” said John Moulden, the President of the National Commission Against Drunk Driving (NCADD). “Police administrators and local government need to be encouraged to view traffic as a key threat to public safety.”
Moulden told the K9News-Revival, “A credible deterrent must exist if cities hope to lower the number of drunk drivers on their roads. If the deterrence climate is lacking, the number of drunk drivers will increase.” According to Moulden, drivers must think there is a chance of being caught driving drunk. He said, “The biggest deterrent, hands-down, is sobriety check points."
“This is what we predicted from day-one when [Santiago] abolished the traffic unit,” PBA President Len Cipriano stated about the new trend. “The officers in Traffic were some of the most highly-trained officers in the department. Now their training is going to waste and their certifications are expiring.”
“This goes to what we have been saying all along,” said Captain William Seaman, President
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of the Trenton Superior Officers Association: “despite Santiago’s assertions, we are not operating efficiently and anybody that thinks we are is either blind or oblivious.” Seaman added, “This is not all Santiago’s fault. City Council and the Mayor have more than a little complicity in allowing this condition to develop.”
According to one accident reconstruction Investigator, the city is allowing a dangerous trend to take root. “This will spiral out of control. As enforcement levels drop, the number of accidents will rise,” the Investigator said. “What’s more, is you have patrol units handling complicated incidents. It’s not fair to the cops or the citizens. People are going to depend on the testimony of these officers in civil court years from now."
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