...an increasingly vital role in the enforcement of traffic violations and motorist safety, but not all advancements have been welcomed by the driving public. Over the last decade many cities and states have begun using red light traffic cameras to catch and fine motorists in an effort to motivate the public to drive more safely. In theory it makes great sense, however when put into practice it has yielded mixed results at best. While the number of citations issued has gone up dramatically the number of accidents has not. In fact many intersections with red light cameras installed have seen an increase in accidents. It is clear that the safety of the general population is paramount, but is red light cameras the most effective way to proceed? Once the data is analyzed it is clear that there are far safer alternatives that will also save taxpayers a great deal of money over red light cameras. In a September 2004 study by the Texas Transportation Institute conducted by James Benneson, P.E., many aspects of the way red light cameras operate were broken down by the researchers. It was discovered that in most instances the red light cameras issued citations within the first second of the light turning red. Almost all incidents of people being cited for running the red light occurred when the light turned red while the vehicle was already in the intersection. Due to the delay between the light turning from red to green in the opposite flow of traffic there was little risk of a right-angle...
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...rapid spread all across Chicago to where there are even two cameras at one intersection. Based on the studies reported, there is, however, strong evidence that suggests that red light cameras are less effective than the high hopes that were placed at their inception. In this debate, I’m not asking to take down red light cameras because some people believe they are to create revenue, nor am I saying the cameras are worthwhile. The priority is to get them to work in the way they were intended to be used for not just for revenue as it has now become. Changes in the engineering aspect to create a better flow would do the best for the city of Chicago. A great amount of technology, contracting, design, and implementation goes into these traffic signals we use every day which help keep road regulation smooth and safe. Although road signals are organized, getting motorists to follow regulations is the hardest part. The problem the federal highway administration was faced with was the great amount of accidents resulting from motorists running red lights. They have found that red light running accidents to be more deadly than any...
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...owner said in an interview. “I knew right away there was something wrong. I knew that camera was broken, but you can’t fight City Hall- and that is a fact.”(Kidwell and Richards). Like many other stories out there, Wague was caught by a faulty camera system. After averaging just three tickets a day, the camera that caught her was suddenly averaging 33 tickets per day, then out of nowhere the ticket spree ended (Kidwell and Richards). Many question whether or not these red light camera systems were malfunctioning or being tinkered with by local authorities. Instead of increasing safer driving conditions, the use of red light camera enforcement in the United States has directly threatened the public interest by favoring revenue over safety, and invading our privacy. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, privatized traffic law enforcement systems are rapidly spreading throughout large cities in the United States (Madsen 5). Primarily, this...
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...The University of Chicago Red Ink in the Rearview Mirror: Local Fiscal Conditions and the Issuance of Traffic Tickets Author(s): Thomas A. Garrett and Gary A. Wagner Source: Journal of Law and Economics, Vol. 52, No. 1 (February 2009), pp. 71-90 Published by: The University of Chicago Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/589702 . Accessed: 12/03/2011 22:11 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use. Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at . http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=ucpress. . Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission. JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. ...
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...OBSERVATION REPORT (Observe – to pay attention to, to perceive or notice, to watch, to recognize or note occurrences, to draw inferences, to remark or comment) The Observation Report is to be the result of an in-person observation made for the purpose of partially fulfilling the requirements of this course, and must include a complete and comprehensive report on any 2.5 hours of observation from the list of choices below, exclusive of breaks and recesses. The observation report shall include the type of observation, the name of the presiding officer, the physical location of the observation, the parties involved, the issues, any decisions made and your personal comments regarding how you “see” the proceedings. Please place emphasis on your personal comments, clearly including what you “bring to the table” (your personal background and why you selected your observation). NOTE: Dr. Flower is the only person who will read your reports. You should, prior to the observation, make notes on your preconceived notions, ideas, and perceptions on what you expect to observe. Your pre-work should then be contrasted or compared with your actual observations. Your “gut” reactions to issues, personalities, competencies and results will most likely be very accurate and should serve as the backbone of your report. DO NOT wait until the last minute to attend the observation since it is common for students to discover the scheduled or planned observation does not take place when the...
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...(SFST) are three tests conducted and analyzed in a regulated manner by law enforcement officers in the field (or roadside) to aid them in making a decision in regards to arrest. . Horizontal gaze nystagmus (HGN) is an involuntary jerking of the eyes that happens as the eyes move to the side. When a person has had alcohol, this is exaggerated and can happen at lesser angles depending on the amount of impairment. The Walk and Turn and One-Leg Stand tests necessitates someone to pay attention, listen to and follow instructions while responding to basic physical movements. These tests have shown to be alcohol sensitive, therefore, those who are impaired will have trouble with these divided attention tasks. While the tests are being done, the officers take note of clues that are signals of impairment. However, before these tests are given, there is generally probable cause as to why the officer feels the need to investigate. The video in consideration for this paper is Top 3 Sobriety Tests- number 2. This is a short recording of an officer performing a field test on a woman whom he had pulled over in suspicion of driving under the influence. It is obvious by the woman’s driving that something is going with her due to the fact that she is swerving all over the road and this is what gets the officer’s attention. This is a probable cause for suspicion of driving under the influence (Traffic Resource Center, n.d.). He pulls behind her and turns his lights on, but...
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...country is facing a lot of problems. One of the basic but also one of the most bothering is the traffic problem in cities. It is a basic problem compared to other economic problem but a long time unsolved one. If this problem won’t be solved a lot of people would be affected, therefore, authorities and even ordinary people must think of a solutions for this problem. Before we discuss the possible solutions regarding the traffic problem, let us know first the reasons or the causes of this problem. The main reason of this is the large number of vehicles on the road. Nowadays, due to the development of the world people can now afford to buy their own car and other kinds of vehicles and because of this, traffic is now bumper to bumper. This problem is indeed bothering for it causes a lot of inconvenience to different kind of people: students, working people and even ordinary ones. In fact, there are people who get stuck on traffic for about several hours, and this is indeed a problem especially to those busy people who were always running for their time. Another cause of traffic is unfollowing road rules such as NO U-TURN, NO JAYWALKING, NO PARKING, etc. these are just some road rules which are mostly unfollowed. It is part of reality that there are people who were really undisciplined and disobeying rules. Due to these kind people, traffic is getting bigger and bigger. Another cause of traffic is the road accident. There are drivers who were driving recklessly and there is also driving...
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...Officer Recruitment and Selection Process for the Vermont Highway Patrol CJA/214 The basic eligibility requirements for being hired as a Vermont Trooper are to have a high school diploma or GED, age 21 and over, U.S. citizen, a background demonstrating good moral character, and satisfactory completion of Peace Officer Academy (POST) Entrance Exam (Vermont Department of Public Safety, 2013). The minimum requirements to become a Vermont Highway Patrol are that applicants must be a U.S. Citizen; must be at least 21 years of age as of initial testing date; must have a high school diploma or equivalent; may not have received more than three minor traffic violations within two years prior to the initial test date; not been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or pled guilty to a lesser charge within two years prior to the initial test date; not been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or pled guilty to a lesser charge within two years prior to the initial test date; not been convicted of, or used hard drugs within five years prior to the initial test date; not been convicted of, or used other drugs not classified as hard drugs within two years prior to the initial test date; not been convicted of, or involved in the sale, manufacturing or cultivation of illegal drugs within five years prior to the initial test date; not been convicted of a felony as an adult, may not have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic...
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...emphases placed on the gathering of information cannot and must not be understated. The goal of this paper The goal of this paper and my research is to define an officer’s duty, to discuss the importance of research and to address the kind of interview/s structures I would choose to use, the particular questioning style to use during the interview process and why I chose those certain questions. Additional I will attempt to provide some advantages of a qualitative data-gathering strategy over quantitative methods of obtaining information. According to "Duties & Responsibilities of Police Officers" (n.d.), “police duties are to protect life and property through the enforcement of laws and ordinances. Work involves the...
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...Library Catalog Publications Better Mousetraps Simplified spot speed studies Editor’s note This article is the first of five summaries of traffic studies described in the Handbook of Simplified Practice for Traffic Studies: (1) spot speeds, (2) traffic volumes, (3) sight distances, (4) crash analyses, and (5) school zone programs. The handbook was developed by CTRE and funded by the Iowa Highway Research Board (TR455). The handbook describes straightforward trafficstudy procedures to help local agencies “get their arms” around specific traffic-related questions or potential problems. Data collected from these studies can be critical to decision making and can help agencies communicate more effectively with community members and local officials. All procedures outlined in the handbook and described below follow national standards. Figure 1. Example stopwatch spot speed study layout Figure 2. Example radar meter spot speed study layout Spot speed studies are used primarily to determine the distribution of traffic speeds, or vehicle speed percentiles, at a specific location. These data help traffic engineers determine and/or evaluate traffic operations and traffic control practices at specific locations; establish design elements for roadways, pedestrian walkways, and bikeways; assess roadway safety questions; and make other traffic safety-related analyses. Rules of thumb For spot speed studies, a sample size of at least 50 and preferably 100 vehicles should be obtained...
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...WHAT IS RACIAL PROFILING? One of the most important civil rights facing our nation today is racial profiling. The main source of those accused of racial profiling are police officers. In the eyes of citizens, racial profiling by a police officer can be defined as “any police-initiated action that relies on the race, ethnicity or national origin rather than behavior of an individual or information that leads the police to a particular individual who has been identified as being, or having been, engaged in criminal activity” (Ramirez, 2000). For instance, concerning traffic stops, the use of racial profiling can be defined as when the race or ethnicity of a person is a factor in deciding to stop, question, search, or arrest someone. It is this view of the execution of racial profiling that leads to a lack of trust in police officers. Currently citizens of the community look down upon the law enforcement officers who are trying to perform simple tasks to carry out their...
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...untouched subjects in history, especially in the law-enforcement community. Most people get it confused with criminal profiling which is not the same. Racial profiling is any police-initiated action that relies on the race, ethnicity, or national origin rather than the behavior of an individual or information that leads the police to a particular individual who has been identified as being or having been, engaged in criminal activity. Criminal profiling is any police- initiated action that used the compilation of the background, physical, behavioral, and motivational characteristics for a type of perpetrator that lead the police. Now imagine driving to the store on a cold winter day, dressed in a hoodie to keep warm. You simply pull into the parking lot in hopes of getting something nice for your daughter for the holidays. Driving the posted speed limit, you pull slowly into a parking space in the back of the store. All of a sudden, a car pulls up behind you, blocking you in. You look in your rearview mirror only to find the community crime watch officer staring you down. The officer immediately treats you like a suspect, smothering you with questions concerning what you’re doing, where you’re going; yet never really had any reasoning behind the questions. The major reason to oppose racial profiling is that it simply doesn’t work. Empirical studies show that when police use race or ethnic appearance as a factor in law enforcement, their effectiveness in apprehending criminals decreases...
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...OFF-DUTY CONDUCT OF POLICE OFFICERS Off-Duty Conduct of Police Officers Dan Henderson Abstract Police officers are held to a higher standard and pledge to follow the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics both on and off-duty. Some officers knowingly violate laws expecting preferential treatment if caught. This creates a double standard and fosters a lack of trust and respect by the general public. Police departments must hold officers accountable for off-duty incidents to maintain public trust and department integrity. Officers must hold each other accountable and not accept unethical or illegal behavior of any kind from a peer. Off-Duty Behavior of Police Officers Introduction Police officers in the United States are tasked with protecting the public from all enemies foreign and domestic. A police officer’s duties range from basic documentation of crimes that have occurred, to the active engagement, and battling of criminals to protect the citizens they serve. Police officers learn the Police Officer’s Code of Ethics while training in the police academy. They are expected to conduct themselves, both on duty and off with the Police Officer’s Code of Ethics in mind. Public expectation of fair and equal treatment The public that police officers serve have an expectation of fair and equal treatment. The Constitution of the United States (Bill of Rights) provides guarantees to all people in the United States of America. Article the sixth (Amendment IV)...
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...Hartnett 4/29/2012 | The article I have chosen is titled “Race, Ethnicity, and Law Enforcement. This article explores the relationship between race, criminality and law enforcement and highlights some of the issues surrounding the intersection of race and criminal behavior. After reading this article I found a few things interesting, such as when the author writes about class subordination, which was identified by W.J. Wilson (1978). He explains how in the second half of the twentieth century, civil rights leaders made great strides to achieve equal rights for people of all racial groups. While this goal may have been legislatively achieved, racial privilege remains a significant issue with which we as a society must grapple. I found this interesting because today we are still faced with these same issues even though we elected our first African American president I feel class subordination still remains with people thinking they are better off just by sheer virtue of race. This is due to a need for people who are not well off to elevate their status, if only in their own minds. Macdonald (2000). Another interesting portion of the article touches on racial profiling. The author writes about a study conducted by Kowalski and Lundman (2007) in which they studied vehicle stop and vehicle search data as well as citizen observation reporting police traffic stops. The goal was to understand the phenomenon commonly known as “driving while black” in which...
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...Peel created his principles of policing in the early 1800's. Today many law agencies have continued to follow his ideas of effective policing. Community policing has been a focus in many departments. Many agencies have been faced with challenges throughout the years, including the increase of cultural diversity among our communities. Sir Robert Peel focuses his beliefs on the fact that police and the people of the community are equal in terms of effective policing. For a plan of action to be successful it’s necessary to have effective communication between all involved. Policing Paper Sir Robert Peel established the nine principles of law enforcement also known as the Peelian Principles in 1892 under the base of patrol functions defined as deterring crime, enhancing the feeling of public safety, and making law enforcement officers available for service. Police departments today use these nine principles as a foundation of maintaining positive relationships with citizens and their community (FBI, 2012). The Metropolitan Police Act (MPA) of 1829 was established by Sir Robert Peel during his term as the Secretary of England. Peel’s theory rests mainly on his quote “The key to policing is that the police are the people and that the people are the police.” The concept behind the Peelian Principles is preventing crime, not fighting crime. In order for community policing to be proved successful, Peel first established the Metropolitan Police. Because of the success in...
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