A Proposed Change in Implementing a Traffic Unit (Term Paper Sample)

A Proposed Change in Implementing a Traffic Unit By Michael J. Conkle PELC #87 - Paper 2 January 26, 2023 A Proposed Change in Implementing a Traffic Unit Enforcing a traffic police unit is a well-known factor in reducing road accidents however, the process is costly, requires extensive time, and currently, the government imposes strict budget constraints. This paper explores the current challenges associated with traffic enforcement at Perry Township and proposes a change through the implementation of a traffic unit. In doing this, the essay focuses on the current situation, hypothesizes future situations, and discusses how the change will be communicated, implemented, evaluated, and the role of leadership in implementing the traffic unit. Current Situation In August 2023, Dave Rose, the owner of Waypoint Staffing Solutions, conducted a staffing analysis of the department which indicated that to reach optimal staffing options, an additional 2 officers are needed. This finding corroborates the postulation of Dunaway (2012) that teamwork is instrumental in operating at peak performance levels and preventing fatal traffic incidences. Data points examined include call volume, response time, shift coverage, time off, training, and special assignments, including traffic enforcement and directive patrol. Data revealed in 2022, Perry Township Police received 22,528 calls for services, out of which 768 dispatch runs were related to traffic incidents. Of those traffic-related incidences, 716 were traffic crashes. Coherent with this assertion, Ahmed et al. (2023) confirm the high number of traffic crashes by reporting that 40,000 individuals died in traffic accidents, leading to increased medical costs and reduced overall life quality for American citizens. Thus, judging from these findings, it is plausible to deduce that there is an urgent need to introduce additional officers to mitigate the rising number of traffic crashes in Perry Township. Currently, Perry Township does not have a traffic unit that can focus on traffic enforcement and investigation. Instead, the township relies on the general patrol officers to handle traffic-related issues. Nevertheless, relying on the general patrol officers for such a task is characterized by increased road accidents because these officers have diverging objectives and duties, thus incapable of fully promoting road safety. Additionally, considering the legalization of recreational marijuana and the support of oral fluid roadside tests by the Ohio Traffic Safety Council, it is evident that patrol officers have more duties to conduct concerning traffic enforcement. Thus, these officers endure various challenges due to the limited manpower rendering them incapable of efficiently performing the differential duties. Simpson and Bell (2022) in their research which aimed at examining the activities of patrol officers support these sentiments by noting that United States’ patrol officers have multiple responsibilities, including but not limited to crime investigation, attending to emergencies and non-emergencies, and preventing crime. These diverse duties according to Simpson and Bell (2022) encourage burnout among patrol officers. Furthermore, the authors emphasize that the consequences associated with the patrol officers’ duties are dire because almost all interactions between the public and police commence at the patrol level (Simpson and Bell, 2022). Hence, considering that the decisions of patrol officers have the potential to shape the trajectory of road accidents, there is an urgent need to implement a traffic unit to ensure traffic safety because presently, the multiple responsibilities rendered to patrol officers make them incapable of effectively balancing their duties. According to Solensten and Willits (2021), a Drug Recognition Program has been launched to deal with driving under the influence. This program is characterized by numerous tools such as the standardized field sobriety test which requires special training to ensure proper detection and apprehension of impaired drivers. In this context, the general patrol officers may lack the special training needed to perform the DUI testing process and thus may be incapable of effectively charging and detecting drunk drivers. Additionally, Solensten and Willits (2021) acknowledge that special training is offered by the Drug Recognition Expert program, consisting of behavioral and physiological detection of drug impairment. The general patrol officers may not receive this training and, thus are not certified to conduct the drug test evaluations, making them incompetent to detect drug impairment among drivers. Agreeing with this postulation, the article by Preusser et al. (2020) illuminates that precinct patrol officers may lack the training to conduct impaired driving tests as these tests are usually assigned to officers whose main mission is traffic law enforcement. Such officers as Preusser et al. (2020) acknowledge are specialized and aware of the time and area prone to typical drunk drivers. Therefore, officers specialized in DUI do not target residential neighborhoods while regular patrol officers due to lack of awareness and knowledge may conduct DUI enforcement in residential neighborhoods. This limits their ability to charge drunk drivers and prevent traffic accidents. Future Situation Implementing a traffic unit would reduce the workload subjected to the patrol officers, suppress the number of traffic crashes, and mitigate the burnout scenarios that are currently experienced by the overworking patrol officers. These sentiments are corroborated by Lukumay and his colleagues as they determined that having enough police officers leads to an increased response to crash scenes (2019). Notably, in their study, Lukumay et al. (2019) mention that in post-crash incidences, the ability of police officers to respond increases the survival of victims as police officers directly or indirectly offer instructions and coordinate the transportation of victims to the nearest healthcare facilities. Based on these findings, it is plausible to say that implementing a traffic unit at Perry Township would promote increased survival rates of the victims following traffic accidents. Second, it would improve the safety and efficiency of traffic enforcement, which could lead to a reduction in the number of DUIs and traffic accidents. Accordant with this assertion, the cross-sectional study by Padilla (2019) propounds that policing is extremely stressful, particularly patrol policing due to the numerous responsibilities, thus patrol officers are prone to occupational and organizational stress that can deteriorate their overall well-being. Thus, by incorporating a traffic unit, the traffic unit officers’ responsibilities would simultaneously enable patrol officers to focus on non-related traffic calls such as domestic violence. The traffic unit would increase the visibility and presence of traffic enforcement, which could discourage potential violators and prevent or mitigate traffic incidents. Accordant with this suggestion, Jose et al. (2019) elucidate that increasing compliance with traffic laws requires police monitoring controls, effective legislation, and punitive correction. Therefore, the traffic unit would promote monitoring controls, increasing drivers' compliance with traffic rules. Third, it would improve the cooperation and coordination with neighboring jurisdictions, which could lead to a better sharing of information and resources. In this context, considering the expenses of money and time required in implementing a traffic enforcement unit, collaboration is a plausible approach to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of the plan. Thus, cooperating with neighboring jurisdictions will ensure the implementation process is systematic, comprehensive considering the present situations such as the legalization of marijuana in Ohio, and well-planned which is essential in promoting sustainability in the long-term. During the implementation of the traffic unit, the initial goal would be to understand the main reason for the violations of traffic rules. This goal is based on the fact that despite the responsibility of the public to ensure non-violation of the laws, people may not always be liable for all the negative outcomes, particularly considering the lack of enough personnel in the police force to ensure traffic is controlled, and other conditions such as poor roads which contribute to traffic accidents. Thus, in formulating the traffic enforcement plan, this consideration will be prioritized, and the public especially road users such as pedestrians and bicycle riders will be encouraged to adhere to all traffic laws. The traffic unit would also be able to incorporate feedback and suggestions from the community through surveys, forums, and complaints to improve their responsiveness and protocol. Communication The communication plan will be two-fold, firstly, the communication and approval of the traffic unit. Supporting this two-fold communication plan, Maor (2020) contends that an optimal policy implementation plan requires an extensive communication plan to avoid the consequences associated with suboptimal designs and the politics surrounding these designs. Secondly, communication of what a traffic unit will mean to the department will be integrated. The Chief of Police can use QBQ in communicating his vision and goals, helping him gain input and feedback. Concordant with the use of the question behind-the-question approach, Fatovich (2022) elucidates that the question behind-the-question strategy encourages high-quality evidence, and promotes adequate research training and critical appraisal. QBQ would recommend phrasing a question such as "How can I communicate the value to the Board of Trustees?" vs. saying something like "Who will support the change?" As the LT, collaborates with officers and support...