TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT MISSION STATEMENT The MPD Traffic Safety Unit’s primary focus is to create a safer community through citizen education, by helping neighborhoods and citizens solve traffic problems, and enforcement of traffic safety laws. The Traffic Safety Unit is an integral part of the police department. Its duties enhance compliance with traffic laws by proactively preventing, modifying, or cutting short hazardous driving behaviors. Statistics show that active and consistent enforcement of traffic safety laws lessens the number of traffic crashes, thus reducing traffic-related fatalities, physical injuries and property damage. Motorcycle Traffic Patrol Milwaukie Police Motorcycle Patrol Officers provide traffic enforcement for our neighborhood streets, highways, and roadways, in addition to premises open to the public such as parking lots and structures. Motor Patrol focuses on commuter-related traffic problems, and addresses traffic complaints in neighborhoods and business districts. Its primary function is to deter hazardous driving behavior that can cause injury to persons or damage to property. Although all patrol officers provide a traffic enforcement presence in the city of Milwaukie, it is the primary assignment of the Motor Patrol to focus on addressing traffic complaints, enforce state traffic laws, and to investigate traffic crashes within the city. Currently, our department’s Motor Patrol consists of four officers trained and certified to operate police motorcycles. Police Photo Radar Program The photo radar program utilized by the Milwaukie Police Department is advanced digital photo technology installed in a specially outfitted, visibly identifiable van. The current vehicle is a 2008 Ford E150 van. The van is white in color and is plainly marked “MILWAUKIE POLICE TRAFFIC DIVISION” in red and black lettering on the driver and passenger doors. Approved by the Oregon State Legislature in 2007, Milwaukie Police began use of the program March 25, 2008. The photo radar van is deployed to monitor traffic in posted 20 mph school zones, constructions zones, business zones, and commuter related highways and roadways. Other deployments are made based upon citizen traffic complaints; neighborhood requests; traffic flow data; and vehicle crash data and statistics. Targeted Pedestrian Crosswalk Operations Pedestrian safety is on ongoing safety issue in Oregon. For the past several decades, pedestrian fatalities have accounted for 10-15 percent of the overall transportation deaths in Oregon. The Milwaukie Police Department and the Oregon Department of Transportation have been conducting Pedestrian Safety Enforcement Programs since 2000. Pedestrian Safety Enforcement (PSE) operations educate motorists and pedestrians in targeted problem intersections. The objectives of this program are to raise driver awareness regarding the right-of-way of pedestrians; reduce the number of complaints by pedestrians at problem intersections; raise public awareness and generate positive media attention through highly visible enforcement activity; and reduce collisions, injuries and economic losses associated with auto-pedestrian crashes. When the police department conducts a pedestrian safety operation, a ‘decoy’ person (plain-clothes police officer) is assigned to travel in designated crosswalk areas. Before any operation, the crosswalk area is measured with braking sight/distance calculations to insure appropriate fairness in judging a driver’s failure to yield to pedestrian violations. Based on the posted speed limit for that particular street, sight and distance calculations are made to determine the safe distance needed that allows a vehicle to come to a complete stop for a pedestrian in the crosswalk area. Once that distance is determined, a traffic cone is placed to mark that point. Based on the posted speed limit for that particular street, the pedestrian steps into the crosswalk before a moving vehicle passes that safety point. In addition to the brightly colored traffic cone, visible reader-boards are posted near the edge of the street warning motorists they are entering a Pedestrian Enforcement Zone. If a passing motorist fails to yield the right of way to the pedestrian in the crosswalk, an officer in a marked police car initiates a traffic stop and contacts the driver. All crosswalk enforcement is conducted during hours of daylight, fair weather, and the ‘decoys’ wear brightly colored clothing. As a reminder, pedestrians also have a responsibility to follow the laws regarding proper use of the crosswalks. They should always look both ways before entering a crosswalk. None of the provision of the vehicle code relieve a pedestrian, or a driver from duty to exercise due care. Failing to yield to a pedestrian is a Class B violation punishable by a monetary fine.
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