University drivers beware: by the end of the month, the Albemarle County Police Department will have doubled the size of its traffic enforcement unit.
But the department's expansion doesn't just mean more speeding tickets for students. For the Albemarle County police, the increase in traffic cops is simply a matter of safety.
The county's high number of traffic summonses and auto accidents generate "a lot of complaints, injuries and property damage," County spokesperson Lee Catlin said.
From 1998 to 1999, automobile crashes increased by 137, from 2,333 to 2,470, and 20 percent of the Albemarle County Police Department's work is devoted to traffic-related incidents, Catlin said.
To have the department work more effectively, three more police officers will be added to the existing traffic unit, for a total of six officers dealing with traffic problems. A third motorcycle cop will be added to the department's roster as well. The additional three police officers and the third motorcycle "helps visibility and improves response and enforcement efforts in high volume traffic areas of Albemarle," she said.
Catlin said the new officers will enable the county police to work on selective enforcement activities in "high traffic locations," including the intersections along the Route 29 north corridor.
For Albemarle Police Chief John Miller, controlling the county's traffic problems will be a major part of the initiative. The department has attempted to dedicate as many resources as possible to traffic patrolling, Miller said. This year, police have already issued 4,380 summons for traffic violations. Out of these summons, 2,290 have been for speeding.
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