Speedsters and sloppy drivers had better shape up in Hailey or they will likely get ticketed.
Since doubling up on traffic patrols on Jan. 1, the Hailey Police Department has more than tripled the number of traffic citations it served during the same period last year.
The majority of traffic violations have occurred on Main Street, in Deerfield and on Woodside Boulevard.
"It's about keeping our community safe," said Police Chief Jeff Gunter. "We are getting positive feedback. People are very happy with what we are doing."
Gunter said he upped the hours for dedicated traffic patrol from between 20 and 40 per week to 80 on Jan. 1, following complaints by residents that speeding had gotten out of control in parts of the city.
A group of residents came to City Hall in summer 2008 with complaints about speeding in Woodside subdivision. Gunter said that for most of the time since then the Police Department has been short-handed due to budget cuts. The increase in traffic patrols was made possible by a $200,000 federal stimulus grant the city received last summer. The grant provided enough money to pay a patrolman's salary for three years.
Since Jan. 1, the Police Department has written 574 traffic citations. During the same period in 2009, Hailey police wrote only 173 citations.
Gunter said about 55 percent of the citations have been for $75, for speeding. The rest included citations for seatbelt violations, lack of insurance and DUI.
Gunter will provide a full and detailed quarterly report on traffic violations to the Hailey City Council in March. He said the city receives on average from $40,000 to $65,000 in revenue from traffic violations.
"It's not about making money. It's about responding to citizen complaints," he said.
Gunter said traffic patrolmen work alone and do not respond to other emergency calls while on traffic duty.
For the past two years, the department has been participating in an Idaho Transportation Department program that awards monthly grants of $1,000 to fund increased enforcement of designated areas such as seatbelt use, DUI or school-zone traffic.
Tony Evans: tevans@mtexpress.com
Hailey police officer Raul Ornelas checks traffic speeds on Main Street in Hailey. Photo by David N. Seelig
