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NEWS RELEASE For
Immediate Release Also see: |
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CLEARWATER POLICE TRAFFIC
PROGRAMS The Clearwater Police Department was a First Place winner in the annual "Florida Law Enforcement Challenge," which recognizes the traffic safety efforts of law enforcement agencies and their programs, Chief Sid Klein announced today. The Clearwater Police Department was singled out for the prestigious award for its ongoing comprehensive traffic-safety initiative; for the expansion of its Traffic and DUI teams; for its far-reaching and effective public information component, including the use of translators in educational programs in the burgeoning Hispanic community; for its DUI enforcement and child protection seat installation programs; and for the 44 percent reduction in alcohol-related fatalities, resulting in the lowest fatality rate in the city in a decade. "This is not only rewarding - to be singled out in such a fashion for our hard work and programs, but it's also strong validation that we're conducting our programs in an effective fashion," said Traffic Section Commander Lieutenant Steve Burch. "Having our programs and initiatives celebrated at this level lets us know we're on the cutting edge of traffic safety in Florida." The award included the presentation of a state-of-the-art accident reconstruction Laser Mapping System to the department, a sophisticated computerized, laser-based system to be used by the Traffic Homicide Unit to map crash scenes. Clearwater competed in Category IV, comprised of agencies with 151 to 400 officers. The competition, in which law enforcement agencies competed against other departments of similar size, examined the competing departments' policy statements, officer training, public information and education components, the level of enforcement activity, the effectiveness of education and enforcement programs, and the quality of the overall award submission. Judges were selected traffic safety experts from around the country. The Clearwater Police Department won second place in the 2001 "Florida Law Enforcement Challenge," which is presented annually through the auspices of the Institute of Police Technology and Management, and in conjunction with the Florida Police Chiefs Association, the Florida Sheriff's Association, the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration and the Florida Department of Transportation. "Ours is a department-wide program to address the traffic concerns of Clearwater's residents," Lt. Burch said, alluding to seven recent city-wide surveys in which traffic was one of the residents' top three concerns. This year, traffic was the number one law enforcement-related concern of Clearwater's residents, according to the scientific survey. Other Tampa Bay area "Challenge" winners included the Largo Police Department (2nd Place – Category III), the St. Petersburg Police Department (3rd Place – Category IV), the Tampa Police Department (1st Place - Category V), the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office (2nd Place – S.O. Category III) and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (3rd Place – S.O. Category IV). For additional details about the "Challenge," please contact Lt. Steve Burch at 727-562-4161. /s/
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