Tallahassee Citizens Academy - March 20, 2018
Class #3: Traffic Unit
To be honest, I didn’t have high hopes for my third class at the TPD Citizen’s Police Academy. Last week we learned about tasers, and in weeks to come we cover topics such as forensics, and even a K9 demonstration. This week’s topic was ‘Traffic Unit’ which in comparison to the other weeks, was seemingly less exciting. But as it turns out, I was wrong.
When people think about the responsibilities associated with a Traffic Unit, only one thing usually comes to mind: ticket writing. For people that don’t interact with police officers on a daily basis, the ticket writing process may be the only small glimpse residents get when it comes to the duties of an officer in the traffic unit.
But, as TPD Investigators Rob Adams and Dustin Roeder explained, they are responsible for so much more.
Motorcycle Officers
There are five official motorcycle officer positions with the City of Tallahassee, however, some officers do multiple things, which allows for them to also be a part of the Motorcycle Unit when needed. While the unit is citywide, they do tend to gravitate towards certain traffic hotspots around the Capital City to help reduce the volume of crashes.
Think you have what it takes to be a motorcycle officer? Well it’s harder than it seems.
Officers are subjected to a TON of training which teaches them how to pivot and turn in tight areas. This is crucial when working big events such as Florida State football games and big parades. In addition to learning all these maneuvers, officers are also trained how to handle riding on non-traditional terrain such as wooded areas, sand, or packed dirt.
“Harley probably doesn’t like us very much for that,” Inv. Adams joked.
Motorcycle officers also assist in dignitary and VIP motor transport. When Donald Trump came to Tallahassee in 2016, it was these units that helped assist in his transfer of location. They have also assisted in the transfer of Joe Biden when he came to town as well as other notable VIP’s.
‘Undercover’ Traffic Officers
These are the officers who drive around in non-traditional police vehicles or ‘undercover’ cars. There are 3 officers who utilize these cars on a regular basis to crack down on people who are habitual traffic offenders.
We’re all guilty of it. You see a police car in the corner of your eye and you immediately check to make sure you weren’t speeding. Inv. Adams explained that by utilizing these types of non-traditional police vehicles, TPD can make more of an impact by targeting those who have dangerous driving habits.
D.U.I Enforcement
Inv. Roeder quoted a national statistic that nearly 1 in 4 people driving after 10 p.m. on any given night are driving above the influence. With that being said, there are only two officers at TPD that are assigned to citywide D.U.I enforcement. Yes, you heard that correctly. That doesn’t mean another officer CAN’T arrest for a D.U.I, but these officers are the only ones that are equipped with Intoxilizer 8000’s in their vehicle.
Intoxilizer 8000’s are, according to TPD, the most accurate and practical way of getting a person’s true blood alcohol content or ’BAC’ in the field. They’re big bulky devices that look kind of like typewriters with a tube hanging off the top that you blow into. Officers who suspect a person has a higher BAC than the legal limit (which is .08, people) will oftentimes call the D.U.I officers to come and further test the suspect either with the Intoxilizer 8000, or by conducting field sobriety tests.
So, then what are those little handheld breathalyzer devices?
Those are called PBT’s, short for preliminary breath test. While fairly accurate in telling the right BAC of an individual, the evidence obtained is NOT admissible in court. This is the reason why most officers will refrain from giving a PBT test if there is a D.U.I officer in the area with the Intoxilizer 8000 available.
Curious what it’s like to get a D.U.I? I’ll walk you through it.
- The officer can’t pull you over for no reason, they have to notice something that would be deemed suspicious or dangerous. This can include jerky driving movements, speeding, or car lights that have burnt out.
- The officer has to establish impairment. After they pull you over they look for signs of red eyes, smell of alcohol in the vehicle, fumbling of objects, or slurring of words.
- If the officer has established impairment, then they might ask you to step out of your vehicle. It’s at this point that they will either radio in for a D.U.I officer who has more experience in field sobriety exercises or ask you to perform the exercises under their supervisor. You’ve seen the exercises on TV… there are three that are admissible in court.
Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus » Testing for involuntary jerkiness of the eye by asking the subject to follow the officer’s finger from one direction to the other. The Nystagmus will typically appear jumpy and not follow in a smooth path if the subject is impaired.
Walk and Turn » This is where the officer asks the individual to walk in a straight line, heel to toe, while counting to 9. The subject is then asked to turn around and do the same thing again back towards the officer.
One Leg Lift » If the subject is physically able, the officer will ask them to raise one foot off the floor about as high as a dollar bill. The objective is to keep your hand close to your side and maintain balance for 30 seconds or more.
AND FINALLY, during the course of these exercises, if the officer feels that you have demonstrated probable cause of being impaired he will then arrest you and take you to jail. However, if there is not enough evidence to determine that you are under the influence then the officer may ask you to call a cab or find another ride.
Traffic Homicide Investigators AKA Math Geniuses
TPD’s traffic homicide investigators investigate instances of vehicular related deaths yes, but they also are called when there is a major or permanently disfiguring injury to an individual involved. These investigators are specially trained to recreate accident scenes and piece together vital information that will lead to an arrest. This surprisingly involves a TON of math.
The speed and velocity of each vehicle involved in a severe accident must be determined in addition to the speed of the vehicles before, during, and after impact. Officers are offered the opportunity to take additional training courses that go over mathematical equations in order to better assist in investigations. Even with the courses, some investigations can take hours as officers go over every single detail available to them at the scene of the crash.
Until next week, I’m Casey Feindt for WTXL ABC 27.
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Common Myths/Fun Facts
• Myth: Officers are required to write a specific number of tickets to maintain a quota.
- Fact: It’s illegal. TPD does not require officers to write a certain number of tickets, in fact, some officers only write a few dozen a year.
• Myth: Officers profile people in order to try and force arrests.
- Fact: TPD Officers are not trained in profiling and do not practice it. If they pull you over it’s because they have probable cause that you are doing something wrong.
• Myth: The City makes a lot of money from tickets.
- Fact: On average, a only a small portion goes back to the City from ticket revenue. A $100 traffic ticket will only generate about $10 for the City, the rest going towards statewide emergency medical funds.
Do you have a question you want to ask TPD about our next topic? Tweet to me @CaseyF_WTXL with the hashtag #TPDCitzenAcademy2018
Stay tuned for the next edition of Casey at the Academy next Wednesday!
And if you missed Casey's first appearance at the Tallahassee Police Department Citizen's Academy, make sure to read it here.
