NCJ Number
228472
Journal
THE POLICE CHIEF Volume: 76 Issue: 7 Dated: July 2009 Pages: 24-26,28
Date Published
July 2009
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article presents an overview of the Baltimore County, MD, Police Department's (BCOPD) efforts in traffic enforcement activities tying together crash problems and crime issues in areas experiencing both.
Abstract
Following a data analysis of roadways in Baltimore County, MD experiencing significant levels of both traffic crashes and criminal incidents, the BCOPD implemented the 2008 Crash-Crime Project. The purpose of the project was to provide strategically targeted enforcement along the designated corridors to maximize the impact of traffic enforcement on road safety and the motoring public and to reduce the incidence of crime. The project supported the premise that traffic enforcement could be used as an effective countermeasure for traffic crashes and crime. Lessons learned from this project continued as the BCOPD implemented the Data-Driven Approaches to Crime and Traffic Safety (DDACTS) model, introduced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in conjunction with the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and National Institute of Justice (NIJ), as a demonstration site. The DDACTS model provides a mechanism to deploy limited resources into areas that have shown long-term traffic- and crime-related problems. Initial results from 2008 demonstrated that patrol time could be dedicated effectively to identified hot spots and that increased levels of traffic enforcement could be used to combat problems. 1 note