Fresno Police Department
Traffic Division
Traffic Enforcement Unit
In 2002 the City of Fresno lost 52 of its citizens in traffic collisions. Since that time, fatal collisions are down 48.10%, which means that there are 78 fewer families who did not have to bury a loved one due to a traffic fatality. This is due to significantly increased enforcement and educational efforts, as well as additional funding. In 2003 Chief Dyer orchestrated an innovative citation revenue sharing program between the City and County governments to provide funding for traffic safety. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) has selected the Fresno Police Department as one of five agencies nation wide to highlight their self funded traffic safety efforts. Those efforts will be published early 2009.
Since then, the Fresno Police Department’s Traffic Bureau has grown from 22 officers to 76 officers, who have made significant improvements in traffic safety in our community. The Traffic Bureau has area traffic units that handle collisions and traffic complaints in each of the five policing districts. There are 16 “Metro” traffic officers who issue citations on Fresno’s most collision-prone streets. These officers do not handle calls for service, as their main goal is to change poor driver behavior and prevent collisions before they occur. Throughout the evening hours there is a 34 officer “Neighborhood Traffic Unit” that targets impaired drivers and works special operations as needed.
Last year, the Traffic Bureau conducted 77 impaired driver checkpoints, 24 saturation patrols and 16 Bar Watch operations which resulted in 3,211 impaired drivers being arrested. This is up over 48% from 2002! Our agency also impounded over 18,000 vehicles. Over 6,000 of those vehicles were from drivers driving without a license, and slightly less than 5,000 for driving on a suspended license. Unlicensed drivers are four times more likely to cause a fatal collision than a licensed driver, and six times more likely to cause an injury collision.
The Fresno Police Department has received significant recognition for its improvements in traffic safety. The Traffic Bureau’s traffic safety programs have received five consecutive first place finishes in the International Associations of Chiefs of Police competition at the state level, as well as two first place finishes at the national level as well as the California Highway Patrol’s “Commissioners’ Award” in 2005.
DUI Educational Programs
Neighborhood Traffic Unit
Police Motorcycle Competition