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This
tactic is a method for making an impact upon drivers who fail
to respect pedestrian rights. Well done, it takes advantage
of the news media's interest in news, reaching drivers through
news broadcasts.
The news media is not interested in a story about someone
getting a ticket for failing to stop for a crossing pedestrian.
However, use a police decoy pedestrian, a large number of
police and do it aggressively, that's news (at least for a
while!).
The modern tactic was developed by Lieutenant John Miner and
Officer Betsy Cable, of the City of Redmond, Washington, Police
Department. The tragic death of three city employees crossing
a Redmond street in a crosswalk led the Mayor of Redmond to
ask the RPD to "do something" about right-of-way violations
in the city.
Pedestrian stings were developed in Redmond, Washington. Currently,
a vigorous program is in operation in Oregon, organized by
the Oregon Department of Transportation. A very effective
program is in operation in Reno, Nevada and Florida and Wisconsin
cities are exploring this tactic.
Recipe for success:
- With the assistance of your traffic engineer and the
public, identify high risk locations for pedestrians.
- Observe to see the types of violations that are occurring.
- Calculate a reasonable amount of time for
a driver to see and react to the pedestrian, mark that
distance back from the crossing with a cone or sign. Miner
recommends using the "slide to stop" formula using a speed
10mph over the posted limit.
- The pedestrian is a police officer in high visibility civilian clothes.
They do not step into the street if the car has passed
the "cone".
- Other officers observe the crossing attempts from concealment
and pursue and apprehend violators. Where concealed observation
is not possible, a radio in the decoy's hand works well.
- Remember that the goal is a lot of media attention,
not a lot of tickets. If 10 people get tickets
and 100,000 hear about it you've been more successful
than if 100 get tickets and only they know it!
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Police
holster their radar guns but stop and warn crosswalk speeders
in Snohomish,
Washington (Oct. 5, 2002)
-- In three hours Friday morning, officers in nabbed
some 60 drivers for driving through a crosswalk while a pedestrian
was walking across the street. It was part of a sting designed
to boost awareness of pedestrian safety. Read the full article
at:
seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/89909_crosswalk05.shtml
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