The Traffic Services Bureau consists of experienced patrol officers who have advanced training in crash investigation, Driving While Intoxicated detection and prosecution, radar enforcement, traffic safety education, traffic engineering, and traffic work zone safety.
The Traffic Services Bureau Officers are assigned to work during the peak hours where traffic crashes and excessive speeding are most likely to occur. These officers also conduct a number of traffic safety programs including: Child Passenger Safety Seat Inspections, DWI Enforcement Efforts, Traffic Responsibility and Safety (T.R.A.S.H.), Traffic Data Collection, New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission Mobile Inspection Team Checkpoints, DWI Pre-Prom Education, Participation in New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety Programs such as “Click It or Ticket,” and the “You Drink, You Drive, You Lose Campaign,” Traffic Engineering, Drug Recognition Evaluator (DRE) Program and Serious Crash Investigation Team (SCIT).
Also under the supervision of the Traffic Services Bureau are Special Law Enforcement Officers (SLEOs). SLEOs are part time officers that help enhance the department’s ability to provide the community with the highest possible level of law enforcement services. The Gloucester Township Police employs two types of SLEO certifications: SLEO I and SLEO II. The SLEO I perform duties such as day detail assignments, court security, council room security, hall duty, park patrol, security and/or traffic control at special events or emergencies, deployment of traffic control devices, transportation of township vehicles for maintenance and school/ church crossing assignments, and/or any other law enforcement duty as deemed appropriate by the Chief of Police. The SLEO II may perform the same duties as a SLEO I but are authorized to exercise full powers and duties similar to those of a permanent, regularly appointed full-time police officer. They are assigned as armed court room officers, council security officers and any duties as authorized by the Chief of Police.
Traffic Complaint Investigation Program
Motorists should contact 9-1-1 for vehicles that are driving erratically or in any manner as to endanger the public. However, residents who suspect their street is prone to vehicles routinely driving above the speed limit or in an aggressive manner should request a speeding investigation.
Specifically, this speed complaint management system consists of:
- Initial documentation of the complaint on a Traffic Safety Unit Investigation/Complaint Management Form. This document details all of the available resources that can be utilized by the Traffic Safety Unit Supervisor to investigate and ultimately resolve speeding/aggressive-driving issues.
- Deployment of a traffic data recorder to the area being investigated. This is the first step in the speeding investigation. The data collected from the highways is stored electronically and often reviewed as additional complaints are received. Additionally, secondary data is often collected to determine if the measures taken were effective in reducing the problem.
- Deployment of a radar equipped variable message board. This board measures the speed of oncoming vehicles and displays a clear message that the motorist is exceeding the speed limit.
- A Safety Area Review. This consists of a trained Traffic Officer reviewing the affected area to determine if additional signage is needed, the current signage is adequate or in need of repair or if specific engineering measure is necessary.
- A Crash History Review. The crash files for the affected area are reviewed to determine if the complaint received correlates to the past history of crashes.
- A Street File Review. The history of the street is reviewed which includes past enforcement action, past complaints, and past engineering issues.
- Initiation of a Traffic Action Notice. Each step of the Traffic Complaint Investigation Program is carefully reviewed to determine if deploying officers for traffic law enforcement and radar enforcement will assist in the resolution of the complaint. If a determination is made to deploy officers for enforcement, the officers are specifically assigned to the affected area with efforts being monitored to determine if additional resources may be needed.
This data collection allows officers to be deployed to those areas where speeding is actually occurring based on actual data collection.
Child Passenger Safety Education
The Gloucester Township Police Department has five certified child passenger safety seat technicians. The Gloucester Township Police Department Traffic Safety Unit offers free child safety seat inspections to township residents on an appointment basis as well as several times a year at open checkup events. The purpose of these inspection is to ensure the safety of child passengers by verifying correct installation, proper seat selection, and the safety of the seat itself by checking for manufacture recalls, damage, and expiration dates. Additionally, police officers set up individual daycare facility checkpoint events in an effort to reach parents most likely to be utilizing child passenger safety devices.
DWI Pre-Prom Education Programs
Traffic Safety Officers work with our three local high schools and School Resource Officers to ensure the high school students are aware of the dangers of drinking and driving. These lessons occur just prior to the vulnerable and potentially dangerous prom season. These lessons include familiarization with DWI law, DWI penalties, mandatory vehicle impoundment for DWI arrestees, provisional drivers license issues, information concerning the use of drugs and driving, demonstrations with goggles simulating driving while intoxicated, and information on current graduated drivers license restrictions.
Alcohol Server DWI Review
Traffic Safety Officers offer a program aimed at alcohol servers. These lessons include information on fraudulent drivers licenses, demonstrations with goggles simulating driving while intoxicated, DWI penalties and overview of the HERO Campaign. The HERO Campaign encourages local bars to offer free soft drinks to designated drivers during certain times of the day.
Drug Recognition Evaluator
Traffic Safety Officers are certified as Drug Recognition Evaluators (DRE). These officers have been trained to recognize the symptoms of a person under the influence of drugs including prescription and illicit drugs. These officers utilize this information to prosecute suspects for DWI even thought they have not consumed any alcohol.
Elementary School Traffic Safety Review: Project T.R.A.S.H.
Traffic Responsibility and Safety Habits.
Traffic Safety Officers visit local school children during the nationally recognized Police Appreciation Week to educate them about pedestrian and bicycle safety. A program, T.R.A.S.H., is also being developed that will target fourth grade students on these important issues. This age group has been chosen as it is found that at this age young children often begin to ride their bicycles further from home and endure peer pressure to no longer wear their bicycle helmets.
Serious Crash Investigation Team (SCIT)
Each member of the Traffic Safety Unit has completed the most advanced traffic crash investigation courses including Crash Reconstruction. Traffic Safety Unit Officers are on call to respond to serious motor vehicle crashes that involve death or the possibility of death. These officers are equipped with specific crash investigation tools including laser measuring devices, crash data retrieval systems, digital video cameras, and computer diagramming software.
DWI Checkpoints/Special DWI Patrols
The Gloucester Township Police Department routinely schedules overtime officers solely dedicated to DWI enforcement. These patrols often occur during holiday times, weekend hours, or special events where there is a suspected increase of drivers driving while intoxicated. Additionally, there are typically three DWI sobriety Checkpoints held each year in Gloucester Township. The Gloucester Township Police Department also participates in the National Campaign, “You Drink, You Drive, You Lose.”
MVC (Motor Vehicle Commission) Safety Checkpoints
The Gloucester Township Police Department works with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission six times per year in conducting roadside safety checkpoints. These safety checkpoints are staffed by a minimum of four police officers with at least one being a member of the Traffic Safety Unit who is a certified passenger safety technician, a drug recognition evaluator to ensure that our efforts to improve safety are maximized.
Seatbelt Mobilization Campaigns
The Gloucester Township Police Department routinely participates in the national “Click It or Ticket” Seatbelt Mobilization.
Engineering Reviews
The Gloucester Township Police Department has Traffic Safety officers who have completed both Traffic Engineering and Advanced Traffic Engineering for Police Officers. This enables our Traffic Safety Unit to evaluate road and highway conditions to ensure that all traffic safety issues are reviewed and addressed. This enables us to fully embrace the Engineering, Education, and Enforcement philosophy of traffic safety.
To report a traffic safety emergency call 9-1-1.
To a report a non traffic safety emergency at anytime of the day or night to the Gloucester Township Police Department you may call 856-228-4500. Or from Monday to Thursday between the hours of 8:00 AM and 5:30 PM you may also contact Police Services at 856-228-4011 for assistance.
To request a Traffic Safety Unit Safety Program call 856-374-5715 or email police@gtpolice.com .
Take Note
- Newly posted speed limit. A newly posted “School Zone” Speed Limit of thirty miles per hour has been posted for Blackwood-Clementon Road at Highland High School – School Zone and is in force when children are present.
- The center turn lanes on the Black Horse Pike, Blackwood Clementon Road, Berlin Cross Keys Road and other similar roadways are for immediate left turns only. Drivers that travel in the center turn lane and pass other vehicles traveling or stopped in the same direction are violating New Jersey Law and their actions may result in being stopped by the police and being issued a summons.
New Jersey MVC
The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) established in 2001 a Graduated Driver License (GDL) program to introduce driving privileges gradually to first drivers and applicants less than 21 years of age. This Graduated Driver Program, sometimes referred to as a Provisional Driver or Provisional License, is necessary due to the inherit dangers associated with young drivers.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for people 15-18 years old. Additionally, the fatality rate for young drivers (age 16-19) based on estimated annual travel, is about four times as high as the rate for drivers 25-69 years old. The risk of fatality for 17 year old drivers increases with the number of passengers in the vehicle they are driving.
N.J. law requires or permits the holder of a GDL or Provisional License to abide by the following conditions:
- Operate the vehicle with only one additional passenger in the vehicle besides persons with whom the operator resides, except this passenger restriction shall not apply when either the holder of the Provisional License or one other passenger is at least 21 years of age.
- The holder of a Provisional Drivers License who is under 21 years of age shall not drive between 12:01 AM and 5:00 AM, except this condition may be waived for an emergency which in the judgment of local police is of such severity and magnitude as to endanger the health, safety, welfare, or property of a person or for bona fide employment or religious activity if the employer or religious authority provides written verification of such activity.
- The holder of a Provisional Drivers License while operating a passenger automobile shall not use any wireless communications device except in an emergency.
- The holder of a Provisional Drivers License shall ensure that all occupants of the vehicle are secured in a properly adjusted and fastened seat belt or child restraint system.
A fine of $100.00 can be imposed for violating the conditions of a Provisional Drivers License. Additionally, holders of a Provisional Drivers License who are convicted of certain moving violations may have their basic driving privileges delayed, be required to attend remedial driving courses, or have their driving privileges suspended.
Parents, guardians, and holders of Provisional Drivers License must understand that motorists eligible for, but who do not upgrade to a Basic Drivers License at the end of the twelve month provisional period will remain subject to MVC’s Provisional Driving License regulations and can be cited by law enforcement for violation Provisional Driver License regulations.
Additional information may be obtained from:
www.nhtsa.gov (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
www.njsaferoads.gov (New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety)www.state.nj.us/mvs/ (New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission)
