Bad drivers beware: Wichita police plan to increase number of traffic tickets

Bad drivers, beware.

Your chance of getting a traffic ticket is likely to increase before too long as police officials will be opening a new bureau and assigning officers whose focus will be finding those who are speeding, driving while distracted or committing other moving violations.

That includes bringing motorcycle cops back to the streets of Wichita perhaps as early as late 2017.

The changes are being financed in large part with a $300,000 federal grant.

“There’s more of a focus” on traffic enforcement, “and there’s more of a visible focus,” said Lt. Jeff Allen, who will head the new unit.

Traffic complaints

Troubling traffic trends are driving the renewed emphasis, Allen said.

Although the rate of traffic fatalities across the U.S. has fallen 25 percent since 2004, the average number of traffic deaths in Wichita has increased compared to the previous 12 years, according to information provided by Wichita police to the City Council.

Kansas Department of Transportation data showed Wichita led the state in 2015 with 9.31 traffic injuries per 10,000 people.

Police Chief Gordon Ramsay said traffic issues are the most common complaint he has heard from Wichita residents since he became chief early last year.

“We have identified the highest-crash areas and will hit those areas hard to improve safety,” Ramsay said.

Eight motorcycle officers will be part of the new unit, along with more than a dozen patrol cars outfitted with radar. The traffic bureau won’t be up to full speed until early in 2018, Allen said, though the bureau may start operating on a limited basis before the end of the year.

Police officials are waiting for the state to release the grant money to Wichita, allowing them to get bids for the motorcycles and equipment. Once a company is chosen, “we can move fairly quickly on it,” Allen said.

The patrol cars will be reassigned from the department’s substations. The federal grant will pay for the motorcycles and related equipment, such as radar trailers and highly sensitive laser radar known as LIDAR.

The city will be eligible to apply for additional grants to support the new unit in the future, Allen said. The bureau will have a home of its own, though that location has not been selected yet.

“There really isn’t any room here” at City Hall, Allen said. “We’ve got a couple of places we’re looking at.”

Motorcycle cops return

Motorcycles haven’t been part of the police force since 2002. They were eliminated when traffic officers were reassigned to each of the city’s four bureaus.

That change “was a well-intended move to allow area captains the ability to move resources as needed,” Ramsay said. “What has occurred is that the traffic officers have become the fill-in for the need of the day, which often isn’t related to traffic safety.”

That led to fewer and fewer tickets being issued. Studies have shown a direct correlation between traffic citations and driving safety, Allen said: The higher the citation totals, the safer streets and highways are.

An operational assessment of the police department following the departure of longtime Chief Norman Williams in 2014 indicated that bringing traffic enforcement under one roof “would be a better plan” for making the city safer for motorists, Allen said.

The department has finally erased the chronic staffing shortages, he said, which makes creating the traffic bureau more feasible.

Allen said he realizes the new police motorcycles will draw curious glances from drivers. It’s been 15 years since motorcycle cops patrolled Wichita’s streets, after all.

Though the exact model hasn’t been chosen, Allen said the new generation of police motorcycles will be much more visible than their predecessors, thanks to better emergency lights and more insignia.

“It’s a good tool to use,” Allen said. “Motorcycles can get places that patrol cars can’t. They definitely have their advantages.”

Distracted driving

Wichitans can expect to see the motorcycles and traffic patrol cars all over town – from Kellogg to I-135 to Rock Road to accident-prone intersections and even residential neighborhoods.

“DUIs are a factor, but there’s bigger issues now, especially during the day – and that’s distracted driving,” Allen said. “It’s become equally as dangerous as driving under the influence.”

Enforcement initiatives will be determined by traffic trends, Ramsay said.

“Our traffic unit will be data driven and results oriented,” he said. “Our ultimate goal is to lower our crash rates and keep people safe.”

This story was originally published June 26, 2017 at 7:17 AM with the headline "Bad drivers beware: Wichita police plan to increase number of traffic tickets."