 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Traffic Services Division was
established in 1976 and currently
consists of two full-time patrol
deputies. Both deputies are
certified by the Michigan Commission on
Law Enforcement Standards. These
deputies are funded in part by the
federal government, with a grant
administered by the Michigan Office of
Highway Safety Planning.
The primary responsibility for the traffic services
division is the investigation of traffic
accidents, accident reconstruction,
accident prevention and the enforcement
of Michigan's traffic laws. As a
requirement of the grant, the Traffic
Division dedicates the vast majority of
their enforcement to secondary roads in
Hillsdale County.
The Traffic Division deputies have
received extensive training in all
aspects of traffic related issues
including accident reconstruction, speed
determination, evidence gathering and
occupant protection. The training
is continual and ever-changing with new
technologies that are available to the
law enforcement community.
The goal of the division is to strive for safer roads
within our jurisdiction. This is
accomplished through a multi-faceted
approach, which includes education,
deterrence and enforcement. As a
result of this approach, serious injury
accidents and fatal accidents have
declined in recent years.
During 2008, the Traffic
Services Division handled the following
incidents:
79 Motorist
Assists
297 Traffic Crashes
4
Fatal Accidents
67 Child
Safety Seat Inspections
27 O.W.I.
Arrests
708 Traffic Citations
Issued
42 Assists
to Other Departments
7
Drug Arrests
During 2008, the Traffic Services Division again
demonstrated excellence in carrying out
the mandate to keep our roadways safe,
and we are confident that we will
continue to meet and exceed the upcoming
challenges we will face in 2009.
Office
of Highway Safety Planning Grant
The Hillsdale County Sheriff's
Office was once again awarded a
traffic safety grant for the 2008 grant
period. This grant totaled
$30,000, and was to be used for traffic
safety. The Sheriff's Office
utilized these funds in a variety of
areas to promote traffic safety.
A significant portion of the grant was used to educate citizens on
traffic safety issues that affect
drivers throughout Hillsdale County.
Our deputies attended local schools,
churches and many civic groups,
educating citizens in regards to safe
driving practices, hazards on our
roadways and the risks of driving while
intoxicated.
The Sheriff's Office was also given funding in the
amount of $4,000 to purchase child
safety and booster seats. These
seats were issued to needy families to
ensure that our young passengers are
safe while traveling on our roadways.
Deputies that are trained to install
child safety seats also installed and
inspected numerous seats at special
events.
The final portion of the grant was spent on traffic
enforcement. During the 2008 grant
year, deputies worked a total of 362
hours of grant-funded enforcement.
As a result of the education and
enforcement, seat belt usage in
Hillsdale County has reached 96%, which
is the highest rate since the enactment
of Michigan's mandatory seat belt law.
During this time span:
455 vehicles were
stopped,
14 O.W.I. arrests
were made,
17 warrant
arrests were made,
4
felony arrests were made, and
176 traffic citations
were issued.
Accident investigations during
this time involved:
70 property
damage crashes
27 personal
injury crashes
135 car/deer crashes
3
fatal crashes
1
assist to another jurisdiction
4
one deputy call-outs
2
two deputy call-outs
1
three deputy call-outs
In summary, calendar year 2008 was a successful year
for the Office of Highway Safety grant.
Seat belt usage was at an all-time high,
numerous child safety seats were
distributed and our citizens traveled on
safe roadways. We have applied for
and have been awarded the grant for the
2009 fiscal year, and we look forward to
the opportunities to serve Hillsdale
County motorists.
The Traffic Division is under the command of Captain Carl Albright.
|
|
IN AN EMERGENCY
DIAL 911
FOR NON-EMERGENCY CALLS
(517) 437-7317
FAX (517) 437-0822
HILLSDALE COUNTY
SHERIFF'S OFFICE
165 W. FAYETTE STREET
HILLSDALE, MI 49242
(800) 437-7317 |
 |
