By Officer Tim Mitten
Community Action Officer
Black Mountain Precinct
Phoenix Police Department
I attend many community meetings and interact with numerous residents in the communities I serve and one of the more prevalent concerns brought to my attention, usually right after burglaries or thefts is traffic issues. As police officers we are responsible for a myriad of issues and problems in our communities but when it comes to improving the quality of life for our citizens, traffic matters!
We all have a responsibility as drivers of motor vehicles to be watchful for other vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists and any other obstacles or vehicles in or near the roadway. Children who may be walking or riding their bikes to school present many issues for drivers. Drivers should take extra precautions while driving in the morning and afternoons where schools are located and their surrounding neighborhoods. It is difficult to watch for children while you are driving if you are on your cell phone, or being distracted by other occupants in the car. Drivers also need to obey the speed limits, especially in school zones. School zone speed limits are a zero tolerance area for speed violations and anybody stopped for violating the speed in a school zone will be cited. Your vehicle must be going 15 MPH as it enters the school zone at the first sign and stay at 15 MPH until your entire vehicle passes the crosswalk in the school zone.
Speeding and cut through traffic in residential neighborhoods is a widespread problem and is not more common in one area or another. To address this issue I attempt a two pronged approach of education and then enforcement, which can be a type of education. We try various educational methods such as newsletters, presentations and more to let people know that this has been brought to our attention and that we will address the issue by attempting to get drivers to slow down and stop by allowing them the opportunity to change their behavior. Vast majorities of the time, the ones speeding through the area are residents of that area and even some times the resident who contacts us and informs us of the problem is also caught speeding.
As officers are out on patrol and driving to and from calls or doing other tasks, most drivers obey the traffic laws since they see a police car. It is when there is no marked police vehicle in sight is when most drivers will drive a little faster than normal, not stop at stop signs or maybe rush to make it through a light that is changing. We cannot be everywhere and it is everyone’s responsibility to drive safely at all times. I understand everyone is busy with work, school, kids, and the many other things that our lives entail but good driving is a habit that needs to be done at all times. The consequences can be very costly financially if you are issued a citation or are the cause of a wreck and also very costly emotionally if you injure or kill another person due to bad driving.
If everyone takes a few moments to slow down and obey the traffic laws, we can avoid many accidents. So, please slow down, watch for children and be safe. If you have a speed complaint, the City of Phoenix Traffic Complaint hotline is 602-534-SPEED (7733). I can be reached at tim.mitten@phoenix.gov or at 602-495-5238 if you have any questions or concerns about this or any other issues.
