C.O.P.P.S PROJECTSAN MARCOS STATION COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING AND PROBLEM SOLVING PROJECT
SAN MARCOS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TRAFFIC PROBLEM
April 29, 1997
San Marcos Sheriff's Station - C.O.P.P.S.
SYNOPSIS:
There have been numerous complaints regarding the safety of children walking to and from school at the San Marcos Elementary School. These complaints refer to the high rate of speed vehicles are traveling in the 25 MPH school zone. The San Marcos Station Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving Unit (hereafter referred to as C.O.P.P.S.) created a project to address the problem. The project entailed a five phase detail to help ensure the safety of children walking to and from school. The project was designed to utilize personnel from C.O.P.P.S. and the San Marcos Senior Volunteers to implement the detail.
PROBLEM:
San Marcos Elementary School officials, along with parents of children who walk to the school, have complained that vehicles drive at a high rate of speed through the school zone. W. San Marcos Blvd. has a posted speed limit of 40 MPH except when children are present. The speed limit for the school zone when children are present is 25 MPH.
BACKGROUND:
Though there have been no reported accidents in this area involving children or other pedestrians, there is the potential for a tragic incident.
PLANNING:
The plan decided upon was developed with the assistance of the San Marcos Senior Patrol and the Traffic Unit of the San Marcos Station. Selected members of the Senior Patrol were taught how to use a radar gun by Traffic Deputy Swannie. The project entailed five phases with statistics being compiled for comparison. The length of each of the five phases was scheduled to last three days, but varied due to the availability of equipment and personnel. The phases consisted of the following:
Phase One:
Beginning on March 31, 1997, Senior Volunteers were positioned in a secluded area near San
Marcos Elementary in an unmarked vehicle. For three days, they used a radar gun and compiled speeds of vehicles in the school zone during the pre and post-school hours.
Phase Two:
The Traffic Radar Trailer was positioned for three days in front of San Marcos Elementary to monitor westbound traffic on San Marcos Blvd. The trailer was monitored and information compiled by Deputies Ramelli and Barrett.
Phase Three:
Senior Volunteers parked in a highly visible area in front of the school in their marked Volunteer Patrol vehicle. For two days they used the radar gun and compiled the speeds of motorists.
Phase Four:
For three days, two (two man) units in marked patrol vehicles enforced the 25 MPH speed zone using radar. Both eastbound and westbound traffic was monitored and forty citations were issued.
Phase Five:
For one day, Senior Volunteers again parked in a secluded area in an unmarked vehicle, using radar to monitor the speeds in both directions of San Marcos Blvd.
DEPLOYMENT:
All phases were conducted in the 300 block of W. San Marcos Blvd, with the morning details beginning at 0730 hours and terminated at 0830 hours. The afternoon details began at 1430 hours and terminated at 1500 hours.
TERMINATION OF ACTION:
The entire operation terminated at 1500 hours on April 18, 1997. Forty citations were written during the operation.
POST ACTION:
The traffic problem is still present as observed by school officials since the completion of the operation.
MEDIA COVERAGE:
The San Marcos Sun published a small picture and caption of the operation.
OPERATIONAL CRITIQUE:
The operation was designed to determine the most successful method of deterring traffic speed before and after school. Phase One was used as a confirmation that a speeding problem did indeed exist. It was determined that 77% of the total vehicles traveling through the school zone were speeding, with 83% of the morning traffic exceeding the limit. Two vehicles were in excess of 46 MPH, with the highest at 58 MPH.
Phase Two utilized the Traffic Radar Trailer, which had a dramatic affect on speeding. Over the three day period of monitoring westbound traffic, 79% of the vehicles were under the 25 MPH limit, with no vehicles over 46 MPH. Only 6% of the vehicles exceeded 30 MPH. Statistically, the radar trailer was the most effective tool in the project.
Phase Three was intended to attempt to determine if a marked Senior Volunteer Unit had any affect. It was apparent that the presence of the Volunteers showed had little affect on the situation. The statistics show that 61% of the vehicles exceeded the speed limit.
Phase Four utilized four C.O.P.P.S. Deputies to enforce the 25 MPH school zone limit. For three days, (April 14, 15, and 17), Deputies Ramelli and Sandoval enforced eastbound traffic on W. San Marcos Blvd., while Deputies C. Johnson and Barrett enforced westbound traffic. Both teams were used as a two-man units in marked patrol vehicles. Radar guns were utilized to enforce the speed limit.
The teams parked on San Marcos Blvd. during the hours when there was a high concentration of children present. The morning hours were 0730-0830, and the afternoon 1430-1500. During the three day period, forty citations were written by the two (2) man teams.
In Phase Five, the volunteers returned in a secluded area and discovered the traffic speeds continuing at a high rate of speed. The numbers were only slightly better than Phase Three as 59% of the vehicles exceeded the limit.
REFERENCES:
Attached statistics are:
SAN MARCOS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
TRAFFIC SAFETY DETAIL
Phase One:
AM SHIFT (0730-0830):
Total Vehicles: 868
SPEED |
# OF VEHICLES |
% OF TOTAL |
20-25 |
150 |
17 |
26-30 |
265 |
30 |
31-35 |
226 |
26 |
36-40 |
154 |
18 |
41-45 |
57 |
7 |
46+ |
16 |
2 |
Results:
_____________________________________________________________________________
PM SHIFT: (14:30-15:30)
Total Vehicles: 469
SPEED |
# OF VEHICLES |
% OF TOTAL |
20-25 |
160 |
34 |
26-30 |
120 |
26 |
31-35 |
123 |
26 |
36-40 |
50 |
11 |
41-45 |
14 |
3 |
46+ |
2 |
Less than 1% |
Results:
SAN MARCOS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
TRAFFIC SAFETY DETAIL
Phase Two:
AM SHIFT (0745-0830):
Total Vehicles: 746
SPEED |
# OF VEHICLES |
% OF TOTAL |
20-25 |
596 |
80 |
26-30 |
103 |
14 |
31-35 |
36 |
5 |
36-40 |
9 |
1 |
41-45 |
2 |
Less than 1% |
46+ |
0 |
0 |
Results:
____________________________________________________________________________________
PM SHIFT: (14:30-15:30)
Total Vehicles: 552
SPEED |
# OF VEHICLES |
% OF TOTAL |
20-25 |
429 |
78 |
26-30 |
90 |
16 |
31-35 |
18 |
3 |
36-40 |
9 |
2 |
41-45 |
6 |
1 |
46+ |
0 |
0 |
Results:
SAN MARCOS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
TRAFFIC SAFETY DETAIL
Phase Three:
AM SHIFT (0730-0830):
Total Vehicles: 807
SPEED |
# OF VEHICLES |
% OF TOTAL |
20-25 |
325 |
40 |
26-30 |
233 |
29 |
31-35 |
174 |
22 |
36-40 |
62 |
8 |
41-45 |
10 |
1 |
46+ |
3 |
Less than 1% |
Results:
____________________________________________________________________________________
PM SHIFT: (14:30-15:30)
Total Vehicles: 373
SPEED |
# OF VEHICLES |
% OF TOTAL |
20-25 |
138 |
37 |
26-30 |
121 |
32 |
31-35 |
62 |
17 |
36-40 |
37 |
10 |
41-45 |
10 |
3 |
46+ |
5 |
1 |
Results:
SAN MARCOS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
TRAFFIC SAFETY DETAIL
Phase Four:
AM SHIFT (0730-0830):
Total Vehicles Cited: 27
| DAY ONE | DAY TWO | DAY THREE | |
|---|---|---|---|
WESTBOUND |
3 |
6 |
6 |
EASTBOUND |
4 |
4 |
4 |
HIGHEST SPEED |
46 |
42 |
41 |
____________________________________________________________________________________
PM SHIFT: (14:30-15:00)
Total Vehicles Cited: 13
| DAY ONE | DAY TWO | DAY THREE | |
|---|---|---|---|
WESTBOUND |
3 |
2 |
2 |
EASTBOUND |
2 |
1 |
3 |
HIGHEST SPEED |
42 |
41 |
41 |
SAN MARCOS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
TRAFFIC SAFETY DETAIL
Phase Five:
AM SHIFT (0730-0830):
Total Vehicles: 213
SPEED |
# OF VEHICLES |
% OF TOTAL |
20-25 |
81 |
38 |
26-30 |
66 |
31 |
31-35 |
33 |
16 |
36-40 |
28 |
13 |
41-45 |
3 |
1 |
46+ |
2 |
1 |
Results:
____________________________________________________________________________________
PM SHIFT: (14:30-15:30)
Total Vehicles: 174
SPEED |
# OF VEHICLES |
% OF TOTAL |
20-25 |
82 |
47 |
26-30 |
66 |
38 |
31-35 |
18 |
10 |
36-40 |
4 |
2 |
41-45 |
3 |
2 |
46+ |
1 |
1 |
Results:
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