Asked and Answered

My neighbor has police at her house all the time and I never see anything posted about it on your social media accounts, but I see a lot of information about other incidents.  Why?

There are several reasons we may not post about an incident on our social media accounts. For one, we respond to 200-300 calls for service every day, so it’s not possible to review and summarize each incident for public consumption. Also, some incidents we can’t talk about. By law, we are obligated to keep details of domestic violence and sexual assault incidents confidential to protect the victim. We also protect juveniles involved in criminal activity. Our public affairs team focuses on incidents that impact members of the community. We work to keep people informed and empower them with the information they need to feel safe and secure. The primary way we share that information is through our Facebook page. You can also find information about significant events that may be ongoing on our X page, where we provide time sensitive updates that may be of interest to the public. Finally, if you have questions, please ask. It’s not always clear which incidents the public wants to know about. We will respond and provide the information we are able to share.

What are the traffic violations an officer looks for most?

Officers are first concerned with dangerous driving behavior that may harm innocent people and lead to crashes, so stop sign violations, signs of impairment, and excessive speeding are top priority. Not coincidentally, these are also the easiest violations to spot. Speaking of easy to spot, driving without your headlights on at night is virtually a guaranteed pull over. Not only is it unsafe, but it’s also usually a surefire way for an officer to spot an impaired driver. We also look for cars with children who are not properly restrained, people not wearing seat belts, and people texting!  People sometimes wonder why we don’t write more texting and driving citations, but they’re very difficult to spot and to prove in court. This may come as a surprise, but when drivers see a police officer nearby, they usually put the phone down. To issue the citation, officers must establish the driver wasn’t using their phone to get directions or make a phone call. Just don’t do it!

If I get pulled over for a broken taillight or another equipment violation, is there anything I can do?

Equipment violation citations, or “Fix-It Tickets,” come with an interesting caveat. Here’s a tip. They will be dismissed if you prove to the court that you’ve rectified the situation and had it verified by an officer within 72 hours of getting the citation. Additionally, if you’re pulled over for an equipment violation, such as a broken headlight or burned-out taillight, ask the officer about “Lights On!”. It’s a program funded through the Blue Santa charitable organization that provides a voucher to a local repair shop to have your equipment issue fixed for free. In this circumstance, you won’t even receive a citation, just a written warning and the opportunity to get the repair made.