West Hartford Police Take 3rd in Law Enforcement Challenge

The following is derived mainly from a press release

The West Hartford Police Department received 3rd place in the Connecticut Department of Transportation and the Connecticut Police Chief’s Association annual Law Enforcement Challenge program.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation and the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association presented 20 awards to state and local law enforcement agencies on Oct. 31 for participating in the “Law Enforcement Challenge,” a program that recognizes high standards of achievement in the field of traffic safety, according to a press release.

The West Hartford Police Department received 3rd place in the municipal category for combined efforts in traffic enforcement, training and public awareness.  It’s is the third time in as many years that the police department has been given this award.

Police Capt. Jeff Rose, the head of the traffic division, said in a telephone interview that the town police officers who enforce traffic laws are the ones who deserve credit.

The press release states that, In 2012, West Hartford officers made a total of 6,978 car stops and issued approximately 6,800 tickets for a variety of offenses, including:

855 Speeding / Traveling Too Fast

606 Red Light Violations

325 Distracted Driving

288 Stop Sign Violations

226 DUI

18 Youth violations for Restricted License Requirements

“Traffic concerns are a high priority for our citizens and a top priority for the West Hartford Police Department,” said Chief of Police Tracy Gove in a press release. “Within the agency, there is truly a concerted and coordinated effort; from the officers in Traffic, Patrol and CIT (Community Interaction Team) who conduct enforcement activities, to our Community Relations Division which assists with public awareness campaigns, all of our officers go above and beyond in traffic safety excellence. We hope that this will keep our roads safe, and help to nurture better driver behaviors.”