This is the first article in our new series Ask a Cop. Send your questions for the Bainbridge Island Police to contact@insidebainbridge.com. We’ll get your answers and post them here. Detective Aimee LaClaire is providing the answers.
Dear BIPD:
I have some questions about the police and the traffic stops you make. It seems like you’re often just waiting to catch people on busy roads and the highway.
Police Officers have many duties, one of which includes traffic enforcement. When an officer is not busy responding to 911 calls or addressing other duties, he or she may spend time enforcing traffic laws and looking for violations. Some of this enforcement may be “directed” in response to citizen requests due to their observations. Additionally, officers may spend extra time in areas or at intersections that have higher incidents of collisions due to speed or traffic violations. Traffic enforcement is just one of many ways that officers have to keep the citizens safe. Officers understand that it can be stressful to be pulled over and frustrating to receive a citation. Bainbridge Island Police Officers take this into account and try to make the experience as pleasant as possible.
Do you have traffic stop quotas you have to meet?
No, Bainbridge Island Police Officers do not have traffic stop or ticket quotas to meet. Officers have discretion in issuing tickets; however, the more egregious a violation is, the more probable it is that the offender will be cited. There are some grant-funded directed enforcement programs, such as Click It or Ticket that request that a participating officer and agency cite for the specific targeted offense as a means of education and enforcement.
Is this a way for the department to generate revenue?
The salaries of police officers are set and are not affected by ticket revenue. There is nothing that encourages or discourages officers to/from issuing tickets as a means to generate money for the city. Below is a breakdown of how a standard $124 fine is dispersed. As you can see, about 35 percent, or $44 dollars, goes to the city or county where the ticket was issued. This money can be used for court operations, police, or prosecutors. It is safe to say that an officer does not base his or her decision on whether to issue a ticket on any potential revenue for the department.
Here’s a breakdown of a $124 standard traffic ticket fund dispersal according to the Washington Administrative Office of the Courts:
- $44.78 goes to the State Public Safety and Education Account. That money is spent on traffic safety programs such as the Click It or Ticket campaign to enforce seat belt use.
- $44.43 goes to the city or county where the ticket was given. That money is generally used for court operations, police, or prosecutors.
- $17 goes to the judicial information system, a computer system that provides statewide access to records.
- $10 is put into an auto theft prevention account, which is used to investigate and prosecute car thefts.
- $5 is allocated for hospital emergency medical services and trauma care. This money helps treat people without insurance.
- $2 is put into a traumatic brain injury account and used to create a support network and a public awareness campaign for brain injury victims.
- $0.79 goes to the city or county where the ticket was given to help crime victims.
How can you tell as people drive past you if they have expired tabs?
The State Department of Licensing issues and regulates license plate tabs. They utilize a color coding system for the months and year and they rotate the colors in a set pattern. Officers can observe the colors or look at the numbers on the color tabs to determine if the tabs are expired. An officer can also run the license plate through a database via a computer in the patrol vehicle to check the dates and validity of a license plate. According to Washington State law, an officer does not need reasonable suspicion or probable cause to enter a license plate in the database. Sometimes people switch plates or tabs to attempt to avoid detection of illegal activity, and this database is a good tool for the officers to use.
How fast does someone have to be going over the speed limit for you to stop them?
This is dependent on the individual officer and other circumstances. Officers have discretion in this area and use their training and experience in making a determination as to traffic violations that warrant a stop. Some factors used in making this determination are (a) a higher priority factor, (b) active engagement in directed traffic enforcement, (c) the area, (d) known issues regarding traffic violations for the area, (e) time of day, (f) weather, (g) and other traffic or pedestrian presence. As an example, a vehicle traveling 10 MPH over a 50 MPH posted speed limit on a highway might not be stopped, but a vehicle traveling 10 MPH over in a 20 MPH school zone might warrant a traffic stop.
Related Stories
- National Manhunt for Suspect Linked to 24 Bainbridge Burglaries
- BIPD Provides Burglary Update
- Stayed in on National Night Out? What You Missed (w/ Photo Gallery)
- Police Oversight Ordinance: Worries About Its Scope and Public Expectation
- BIPD Officer Trevor Ziemba Nominated for State Crisis Intervention Officer of the Year
- Chief Hamner Gets a Deputy
- Two Arrests Made in Connection with Bainbridge Burglaries
- Two Cars Stolen from Winslow Cohousing; Police Recover One
- Police Have a Sketch of the Suspect Wanted in More Than 20 Burglaries
- Serial Burglar Hitting Bainbridge in the Daytime
- Daytime Car Break-in and Theft at Battle Point Park
- Bainbridge Police Arrest Four for Kitsap Mail Theft Spree
- Bainbridge Police Announce That Suspect in Car Prowls Now Linked by Fingerprint to Stolen Car
- Spotlight on Cops: Officer LaClaire Discusses BI Eccentricity, Adrenaline Addiction, and Picking the Best Bananas
Photo by Julie Hall.