Citing an increase in complaints about drivers exceeding the speed limit, running red lights, failing to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks and ignoring stop signs, the Westbrook Police Department took to social media Tuesday to issue a stern warning.

Effective immediately, Westbrook police will conduct “directed traffic enforcement” patrols throughout the city.

Patrol officers will be directed to spend their uncommitted patrol time on traffic enforcement. Areas will be targeted based on crash data and citizen complaints and not all details will be announced in advance, according to a statement posted on the department’s Facebook page.

“We are announcing our increased and directed efforts with the intent to encourage motorists to follow the rules of the road voluntarily, so our officers do not have to issue tickets,” Westbrook police said. “Our overall goal is to make our roads safe for all motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists.”

Westbrook police said traffic enforcement is a priority for the department, which averages about 9,000 traffic stops a year. The department said its number one citizen complaint related to public safety is traffic violations.

“Even with these high number of traffic stops, we have not been able to effectively impact and decrease the volume of motorists committing traffic violations in our city. Recognizing our lack of success, we have decided to make some changes around our traffic enforcement efforts,” the statement said.

 

 

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