HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 8395 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS NO. 8395
Date: 4/9102
Pr To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
Page 1 of 2
SUBJECT: Use of Handheld Radars by Irving
CODE BLUE/Citizens on Patrol Volunteers.
PURPOSE
City Council recently requested the police department to examine the use of handheld radar units
by CODE BLUE/Citizens on Patrol Volunteers in the City of Irving and determine if such a program
was feasible to implement in Fort Worth.
IRVING'S PROGRAM
Six years ago, the City of Irving's Police Department began a Citizen on Patrol program based on
the Fort Worth model. One of the approved duties of the volunteers was the use of a handheld
radar unit to conduct speed surveys. The Citizen on Patrol volunteers complete a twelve-week
citizen police academy including instruction in the proper use of the handheld radar unit. The Irving
COPs check out a radar unit held specifically for them at the ICOPS coordinator's office. Working in
teams of two in their privately owned marked COPS vehicle, they run radar and maintain a log of
the speeds indicated by the radar along with the location where the detail is conducted. The results
are forwarded to the Police Liaison Officer for follow-up by the police department. No enforcement
action is taken by ICOPS members in regards to speeding violations observed during their details,
in fact, it is prohibited. That prohibition is grounded in Texas Law.
The authority of citizens to make arrests is governed by Article 14.01 of the Texas Code of Criminal
Procedure and limits that authority to felony offenses and offenses against the public peace. The
Texas Transportation Code, Chapter 543.001 authorizes only peace officers to make arrests
without a warrant for traffic offenses. Traffic stops are temporary detentions and seizures, although
not technically arrests. Since traffic citations are Class C Misdemeanors private citizens do not
have the right to detain or arrest unless the offense elevated itself to a felony or a breech of the
public peace which occurred in their presence or within their view. Based on existing State Law, the
use of citizen volunteers in running handheld radar units is restricted to conducting speed surveys
to be used to advise police of problem locations.
The Coordinator of Irving's program reports that there is no evidence of a reduction in speeding or
accidents since the inception of their program. The activity does provide a positive feeling of
involvement for the volunteers.
FORT WORTH TRAFFIC COMPLAINTS
The Fort Worth Police Department receives traffic complaints from a variety of sources. A large
number come from citizens calling the Traffic Division during normal working hours at which time
their concerns are documented into a citizen action request. There is also a hotline (817) 392-SAFE
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS NO. 8395
` s Date: 4/9102
SAPS To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
Page 2 of 2
its SUBJECT: Use of Handheld Radars by Irving
CODE BLUE/Citizens on Patrol Volunteers.
that citizens can call to report traffic complaints and this line is checked often with daily
assignments made. Each is assigned to a sergeant to review with the complainant. The sergeant
assesses what resources are needed to address the problem and then assigns appropriate field
resources. Patrol and Traffic Divisions coordinate on all traffic complaints. While the police
department recognizes there is always. room for improvement in any program, they note that
through their enhanced traffic enforcement efforts citations issued by traffic officers were up 15%
last year and total citations (patrol and traffic) were up 10% as well. Consequently traffic fatalities
were down 39%. DWI enforcement has also been enhanced during the past year.
FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTATION IN FORT WORTH
The use of CODE BLUE/Citizens on Patrol volunteers in the City of Fort Worth to conduct speed
surveys would require additional training on the proper use of the portable handheld radar units.
The Police Department's Traffic Division has certified instructors who could perform this task.
Additions to the CODE BLUE/COPS Standard Operating Procedures would be needed in order to
determine how radar units are checked out, length of time they can be used, and a method to
evaluate the speeding information. The Fort Worth Police Field Operations Divisions currently have
handheld units in each of the NPD's. Officers use the handheld radars when beat cars are out of
service and for appropriate special details. These units would need to be appropriated for such a
program or new units would need to be obtained.
SUMMARY .
The Chief of Police has reviewed this program, finding that it has failed to provide a demonstrated
ability to reduce accidents and speeding in the City of Irving. There is little value to be added to
traffic enforcement by the adoption of a citizen based radar program, which would only produce
another list of potential sights where speeding has occurred. This information, some of which may
be duplicate in nature, would still need to be evaluated and prioritized in relation to all requests
coming into the police department just as is done now.
Therefore it is his opinion that at the present time the program should not. be implemented.
Howeve , staff will continue to examine ways in which traffic enforcement can be enhanced in the
AW. J th.
F� n
City Manag er
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS