Traffic_Function_and_Responsibility

Policy 500CSU Police Department Systemwide Policy Manual Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2025/07/26, All Rights Reserved. Published with permission by CSU Police DepartmentTraffic Function and Responsibility - 1Traffic Function and Responsibility 500.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE The ultimate goal of traffic law enforcement is to reduce traffic collisions. This may be achieved through the application of such techniques as geographic/temporal assignment of personnel and equipment and the establishment of preventive patrols to deal with specific categories of unlawful driving behavior. Traffic enforcement techniques are based on accident data, enforcement activity records, traffic volume, and traffic conditions. This department provides enforcement efforts toward violations, not only in proportion to the frequency of their occurrence in accident situations, but also in terms of traffic-related needs. 500.2 TRAFFIC OFFICER DEPLOYMENT Several factors are considered in the development of deployment schedules for officers of the CSU Police Department. Information provided by the California Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System (SWITRS) is a valuable resource for traffic accident occurrences and therefore officer deployment. Some of the factors for analysis include: •Location •Time •Day •Violation factors All officers assigned to patrol or traffic enforcement functions will emphasize enforcement of accident causing violations during high accident hours and at locations of occurrence. All officers will take directed enforcement action on request, and random enforcement action when appropriate against violators as a matter of routine. All officers shall maintain high visibility while working general enforcement, especially at high accident locations. Other factors to be considered for deployment are requests from the public, construction zones or special events. 500.3 ENFORCEMENT Enforcement actions are commensurate with applicable laws and take into account the degree and severity of the violation committed. This department does not establish ticket quotas and the number of arrests or citations issued by any officer shall not be used as the sole criterion for evaluating officer overall performance (Vehicle Code § 41603). The visibility and quality of an officer’s work effort will be commensurate with the philosophy of this policy. Several methods are effective in the reduction of collisions: 500.3.1 WARNINGS Warnings or other non-punitive enforcement actions should be considered in each situation and substituted for arrests or citations when circumstances warrant, especially in the case of CSU Police Department Systemwide Policy Manual Traffic Function and Responsibility Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2025/07/26, All Rights Reserved. Published with permission by CSU Police DepartmentTraffic Function and Responsibility - 2inadvertent violations. When issuing a warning, officers shall verbally advise the violator of the nature of the violation and if any corrective action is needed. Officers shall document the disposition of the traffic stop via the CAD incident. 500.3.2 CITATIONS Citations may be issued when an officer believes it is appropriate. It is essential that officers fully explain the rights and requirements imposed on motorists upon issuance of a citation for a traffic violation. Officers should provide the following information at a minimum: (a)Explanation of the violation or charge (b)Court appearance, date, time, and location (c)Court appearance procedure including the optional or mandatory appearance by the motorist (d)Notice of whether the motorist can enter a plea and pay the fine by mail or at the court 500.3.3 PHYSICAL ARREST Physical arrest can be made on a number of criminal traffic offenses outlined in the Vehicle Code or Penal Code. These physical arrest cases usually deal with, but are not limited to: (a)Vehicular manslaughter (b)Felony and misdemeanor driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs (c)Felony or misdemeanor hit-and-run (d)Refusal to sign notice to appear (e)Any other misdemeanor at the discretion of the officer, such as reckless driving with extenuating circumstances 500.4 SPECIAL PROCESSING REQUIREMENTS During traffic law violations, the following people may require special processing: (a)Juveniles - refer to Traffic Citations: Juvenile Citations policy (b)Foreign diplomats/consular officials - refer to Foreign Diplomatic and Consular Representatives policy. (c)Legislators – not exempt from laws of the State of California; notify Watch Commander on duty. (d)Military – avoid traffic stops on U.S. military vehicles unless public safety becomes a factor due to hazardous violations; notify Watch Commander on duty. 500.5 UNIFORM ENFORCEMENT The goal of the Department is to provide fair and impartial treatment of the public in order to educate, enforce and ultimately work towards obtaining voluntary compliance with traffic laws. The following information is intended to provide guidelines to officers for uniform traffic enforcement CSU Police Department Systemwide Policy Manual Traffic Function and Responsibility Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2025/07/26, All Rights Reserved. Published with permission by CSU Police DepartmentTraffic Function and Responsibility - 3actions. These guidelines do not remove an officer's discretion and judgment based on their training, experience, and law. (a)Driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs 1.Refer to Impaired Driving Policy (b)Suspended driver 1.Refer to Suspended or Revoked Drivers Licenses Policy 2.Refer to Vehicle Towing and Release Policy The following violations may be enforced by either citation or verbal warning. (c)Speed and other moving violations 1.These violations can be determined by observation, speed estimation and/or the pace method. 2.Officers shall consider appropriate factors when enforcing speed laws, including time of day, traffic flow, weather conditions and location. (d)Hazardous violations 1.These