Combating the Impaired Driver
Eight Case Studies of Sustained, High-Visibility, Impaired-Driving,
General Deterrence, Enforcement

WASHINGTON STATE PATROL
WASHINGTON STATE

A FULL CALENDAR OF SPECIAL
EMPHASIS PROGRAMS

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES
The Washington State Patrol is a full-service law enforcement agency with responsibility for all aspects of public safety. However, the many special traffic enforcement programs conducted by the WSP reflect the agency’s emphasis on the core mission of reducing the incidence of fatal and injury crashes on State and interstate routes. The Washington State Patrol participates in all national mobilizations, but more important, the agency conducts many additional “special emphasis” programs each year that are custom-designed to target specific local issues throughout the State. The Washington State Patrol’s calendar is filled with innovative special enforcement events and programs, most of which are intended to reduce the incidence of impaired driving.

SETTING
The State of Washington is one of the greatest sources of hydroelectric power in the world and is home to the U.S. Navy’s most advanced submarines, the largest software company and, until recently, the largest manufacturer of commercial airplanes. The ports of Puget Sound are gateways to the world and major centers for Pacific Rim trade. Despite Washington’s high-tech industries, the State’s economy is based primarily on agriculture and timber products. Washington is the Nation’s leading producer of apples, cherries, and pears, and is a major source of wheat, corn, onions, potatoes, apricots, and grapes. More than half of the State is forested and the lumber and wood products industry remains one of the largest components of the economy; most of the major cities in the State began as sawmills. The Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges divide the forested coastal region from the vast semiarid expanse of Eastern Washington. The 700 troopers of the Washington State Patrol’s Field Operations Bureau are responsible for policing more than 17,000 miles of highway, through desert, farmland, rainforest, and urban environments, and for improving traffic safety for the State’s six million residents.

BACKGROUND / PLANNING PROCESS
The Washington State Patrol adopted the “Problem Oriented Public Safety” (POPS) philosophy in 1997, following the award of a Community Oriented Policing grant from the Federal government; the grant added 72 trained POPS officers to the Patrol during the following three years. The POPS approach fosters the development of partnerships among law enforcement agencies, citizens, and other stakeholders, who together help solve public safety problems. The Washington State Patrol made a commitment to bring POPS and their governor’s Quality Improvement Initiative together and to train all employees in this new philosophy of public service.

POPS Mission Statement: The Washington State Patrol, in partnership with our communities, uses problem solving, education, enforcement, and assistance activities to improve public safety.

The Washington State Patrol traditionally responded to public safety issues with additional patrols and responses to calls for service. The agency now combines traditional methods with the cooperative philosophy of Problem Oriented Public Safety. Problems suitable for the POPS approach are any series of repeat incidents that have related characteristics (e.g., behavior, location, people, time) that concern a community or the agency and fall within the mission and jurisdiction of the Washington State Patrol. The principal components of the agency’s POPS approach are:

• Partnerships (engaging citizens and organizations in the problem-solving process); and
  
  
• Problem-Solving using a model called SARA (for scanning, analysis, response, and assessment).

The Washington State Patrol describes the four steps of the SARA model of problem solving in the following manner.

Scanning is the process by which a problem is detected, characterized, and defined.

Analysis involves the collection of relevant data to establish a statistical baseline to help determine if the issue is, indeed, a problem and, if so, to estimate its magnitude. This step includes the identification of relevant stakeholders, who can be individuals or organizations affected by, or can bring resources to bear on, the identified problem.

Response begins by establishing a goal for reducing or eliminating the problem, followed by development of an action plan that describes the specific role of each stakeholder.

Assessment is the process of evaluating the effectiveness of the problem-solving efforts by collecting and comparing data to the baseline that was established previously during the analysis.

The Washington State Patrol has deployed the 72 specially selected and trained POPS troopers throughout the state to engage in problem-solving efforts, and all levels of the agency have embraced the POPS approach and the SARA model of problem solving. Everyone from the troopers in the field to the Chief and senior commanders at WSP Headquarters use the method to identify issues and improve performance.

The Washington State Patrol recently implemented a structured program of individual and management accountability that involves frequent performance reviews, beginning with individual troopers reporting assessment data to sergeants and culminating with Bureau Chiefs reporting to the Chief of the agency. This data-driven review process focuses on accomplishments, challenges, and use of resources, and it encompasses all operations of the Washington State Patrol. Preparation for and conduct of the reviews are time consuming and, occasionally, uncomfortable for individuals, but the frequency of the reviews and the emphasis on personal accountability leaves little within the agency unscrutinized. The relentless emphasis on accountability might seem harsh, but the reviews are conducted within the cooperative atmosphere generated by the POPS approach and the objective always is to improve performance in the pursuit of public safety.

SPECIAL ENFORCEMENT METHODS
The troopers of the Washington State Patrol employ a variety of methods, including:

• Patrols during specified times and in areas known for DUI activity;
  
  
• Participation in multi-agency emphasis patrols;
  
  
• Use of Drug Recognition Experts and drug detection dogs;
  
  
• Use of unmarked patrol vehicles and aircraft;
  
  
• Participation in You Drink & Drive. You Lose. and other national campaigns.

Examples of the Washington State Patrol’s special emphasis programs are listed, below, followed by additional information about two of the programs.

Traffic Safety Blitz: Five traveling special emphasis teams saturate areas for a one-week period.

Drive Hammered – Get Nailed: Saturation patrols in each district.

Target Zero: WSP used grant funding to increase DUI patrols and other enforcement efforts.

DUI Squads: Troopers are selected on the basis of their DUI detection skills to form special units that concentrate on DUI enforcement and do not respond to routine calls for service; these special troopers are assigned to a squad for a period of eight weeks and may work in any area within the district they choose.

Reduce Underage Drinking: Established as a partnership with the Washington State Liquor Control Board and other city and local law enforcement and public agencies, this program concentrates on “party patrols” and known areas of underage drinking.

Aggressive Driving Apprehension Team (ADAT): Uses unmarked/unconventional police vehicles equipped with mobile video cameras to apprehend aggressive drivers; 46 specially equipped ADAT cars are located throughout the state.
Night of 1000 Stars: Legislators, judges, and media representatives ride with officers to observe impaired-driving enforcement. The title refers to the badges worn by approximately 1,000 law enforcement officers who participate in the program.

El Protector: Adapted from the CHP’s successful efforts to educate Hispanic drivers who are disproportionately represented in alcohol-related crashes.

Surround the Sound: Officers from 10 counties surrounding Puget Sound conduct this special emphasis program during the weekend closest to Halloween.

DUI Need-A-Ride Taxi Project: Troopers work with Liquor Agents and the Breath Test Section to determine which taverns and bars had high incidents of over-serving. Troopers and Liquor Agents then contact the establishment owners to advise them of the problem and provide training concerning responsible serving policies.

Serious Highway Crime Action Team (SHCAT): This unit was created in 2000 to focus on criminal activity occurring on highways, including aggressive and impaired driving, driving on suspended or revoked licenses, and violating drug and firearms laws. The teams consist of a trooper and two K-9 officers in both marked and unmarked patrol cars.

Under Age Prevention: Troopers provide a unique educational experience for young drivers who have been arrested for alcohol and drug offenses.

Every 15 Minutes: This teenage drinking and driving education program is based on the premise that a person is killed in an alcohol-related crash every 15 minutes and includes a practical scenario, assembly, and presentation by a loved one of a DUI victim.

Minor in Prevention: Teens from nine Washington counties who have had a drug or alcohol violation meet with troopers to discuss the issues.

So Your Teen Is Driving: In this program, troopers talk with parents of driver’s education students at area high schools about the risks involved in driving.

Reward Opportunities for Adult Driving Skills (ROADS): This program for high school driver education students, combines classroom instruction and a low-speed driving skill course.

Warrant Apprehension Program: Troopers locate and arrest violators who are wanted for outstanding warrants resulting from DUI arrests.

Other special emphasis efforts include, Tacoma/Pierce County Task Force, Long Beach Peninsula Car Show and Rod Run, Victim-Witness Panels, DUI High School Program, Pierce/Thurston Counties DUI Multi-Agency Jurisdictional Task Force, and Drug Impairment Training for Educational Professionals.

WSP troopers who are assigned to the special emphasis patrols must first take refresher training in DUI detection and use of NHTSA’s SFST battery, to ensure proper preparation for the duty. All enforcement campaigns involve highly publicized activities to raise citizen awareness of the issues and contribute to the general deterrence effects of the program.

EXAMPLE #1: DISTRICT 5 HOLIDAY DUI TEAM
In the fall of 2003, the troopers and managers of District 5 of the Washington State Patrol reviewed local crash records and found an increasing incidence of alcohol-involved crashes during the holiday season. In response, they proposed forming a team to focus on DUI detection, with the intention of increasing the numbers of DUI arrests from previous holiday periods and the hope of reducing the number of crashes occurring in their district.

Planning Process. District 5 supervisors and command staff analyzed the crash data and reports from the Liquor Control Board to identify the geographic areas of greatest alcohol involvement in crashes and the drinking establishments that were known to over serve and contribute to alcohol-impaired driving. The data were used to develop a special emphasis patrol plan. Then, the managers selected a sergeant and their four most proficient troopers in DUI enforcement to participate on the team.

Obstacles. Dayshift coverage of patrol duty and responses to calls for service were negatively affected by the reallocation of key troopers to the nighttime DUI patrols. The problem was solved by temporarily assigning troopers of the motorcycle detachment to assist with responses to calls for service during daytime shifts. It was unusual duty for the motorcycle troopers, but they adapted quickly and performed the tasks well.

Partnerships. District 5 troopers and supervisors worked closely with personnel from local law enforcement agencies, including the Vancouver Police Department, Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Liquor Control Board, and the Clark County Traffic Safety Task Force. Also, the troopers invited news reporters and elected officials to ride with members of the DUI Team during the statewide “Night of 1000 Stars” campaign. The ride-alongs resulted in several newspaper articles that helped elevate public awareness of District 5’s special emphasis patrols.

Program Strengths. The four troopers and one sergeant were selected for the special duty because of their DUI detection skills and motivation, which routinely generated substantial numbers of DUI arrests, even though they normally worked daytime shifts. Moving the four top producers to nights during the eight-week holiday period greatly increased the numbers of DUI arrests made by those troopers and by the entire district. The team concept created a sense of “mission” and helped sustain high levels of motivation for the duration of the special enforcement period. A post-program assessment found the “First Annual District 5 Holiday DUI Team” to be a huge success, prompting district managers to add a fifth trooper to the team for the 2004 holiday season deployment.

Lessons Learned. Develop the plan well in advance of the first scheduled deployment to avoid scheduling conflicts for key personnel. Also, ensure that a supportive and flexible supervisor is assigned to the team to coordinate enforcement activities and provide assistance when issues arise. The objective is to maximize patrol time and visibility of the special, impaired driving enforcement effort. Finally, do not hesitate to change personnel or patrol strategies if the original plan is not working to satisfaction.

Results. The four troopers and one sergeant of District 5’s Holiday DUI Team contacted a total of 2,038 drivers between October 21 and December 31, 2003 and made:

• 246 DUI arrests
• 87 drug arrests
• 43 warrant arrests
• 598 speeding contacts
• 56 aggressive driver contacts
• 103 suspended license arrests

Data provided by the Washington State Patrol show that the number of DUI arrests made by District 5 troopers during the eight-week special emphasis period increased from 261 in 2002 to 404 in 2003 (a 55-percent increase), and that crashes declined from 392 to 360 (an 8.2-percent decline). Countless additional drivers slowed and attended to their driving when they observed the troopers on patrol and during enforcement stops.

The Holiday DUI Team developed by the managers and troopers of District 5 provides a clear example of the Washington State Patrol’s mission statement in action: “…making a difference every day by providing public safety services to everyone where they live, work, travel, and play.”

EXAMPLE #2: EL PROTECTOR
During the last decade of the 20th century, Eastern Washington began experiencing a dramatic increase in the numbers of fatal and injury crashes involving Hispanic/Latino surnamed drivers; alcohol was found to be a factor in many of the crashes. The disproportionate involvement of Hispanic/Latino drivers in local crash statistics prompted the managers and troopers of the Washington State Patrol’s District 3 to address the problem. They determined that 1) immigrant and illegal alien drivers are likely to engage in traditional behaviors, and 2) many illegal residents have not received formal driver training and assessment, and as a result, are unaware of the traffic laws of the State of Washington.

District 3 command staff were aware of the El Protector program that had been developed by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) in 1988 to educate immigrants from Mexico and Central American countries concerning traffic safety issues. An analysis of California crash records had found that in communities where Hispanics composed only 25 percent of the population, Hispanic surnames were involved in 65 percent of all fatal crashes, and as many as 95 percent of the drivers arrested for DUI had Hispanic surnames. CHP managers recognized that cultural and technological differences between life in rural Latin America and in the more mechanized society to the north contributed to the disproportionate involvement of Hispanic surnames in all measures of drinking and driving. It is natural for migrant workers and immigrants to engage in customary behavior, but what might be acceptable in a preindustrial village becomes intolerably dangerous when combined with a motor vehicle.

The CHP developed the El Protector program to educate and encourage positive traffic safety behavior and to build better community relations between the Spanish speaking population and law enforcement agencies. The El Protector was originally conceived as a mysterious super-hero and created to appeal primarily to adolescents and young men, the groups at greatest crash risk, living in California’s rural Central Valley. Officers of Hispanic ancestry were recruited to serve as El Protector Program Coordinators to work with Hispanic communities with the ultimate objective of reducing the disproportionate number of Hispanic-surnamed drivers and victims involved in traffic crashes. The CHP quickly expanded the El Protector program throughout California and it has subsequently been adopted by other States, including Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Illinois. However, since its inception, the key element of the program has been for the officers to be perceived as strong, but caring, role models who are eager to educate and protect their fellow Hispanics. Officers’ law enforcement responsibilities are de-emphasized with the intention of removing barriers to communication. Similarly, El Protector coordinators wear uniforms or civilian clothes, depending on the occasion, to maximize their approachability and effectiveness as agents of behavioral change.

Planning Process. WSP Command staff developed the following action plan to implement an El Protector program in the Washington State Patrol.

• Create a standardized Spanish language training program in all four Field Operations Bureau core mission elements (DUI, Occupant Restraints, Speed, and Aggressive Driving).
  
  
• Develop Hispanic/Latino community partnerships.
  
  
• Develop Hispanic/Latino and general media partnerships.
  
  
• Involve the Washington State Traffic Safety Commission.
  
  
• Create a mechanism for information exchange within the State’s Hispanic/Latino community.
  
  
• Conduct activities to reach agricultural workers and other groups.
  
  
• Work with law enforcement partners to accomplish the program’s goals.

The Washington State Patrol formed an El Protector Advisory Board and a Law Enforcement Committee as a means to obtain the involvement, guidance, and support of key individuals and organizations. The Advisory Board includes representatives from the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Catholic Family and Child Services Organization, Hispanic Outreach Leadership Alliance, radio and television stations, newspapers, and major employers of agricultural workers. The Law Enforcement Committee is composed of representatives from police departments, sheriff’s offices, and the WSP.

The organizers realized that program success would depend on conveying consistent and meaningful messages to the intended audience. The methods used include:

• Weekly messages delivered via Spanish language radio broadcasts.
  
  
• Public service announcements in Spanish on cable television stations.
  
  
• Monthly programming on Spanish language news broadcasts.
  
  
• Weekly columns in each of the Spanish language newspapers.
  
  
• Participation in cultural celebrations within the Hispanic/Latino community.

The media efforts are important and have helped earn the trust of the Spanish- speaking population of Washington State. However, the program organizers have found that the best way to reach the population of drivers at greatest risk is by providing one-on-one education in their places of work.

It was challenging to develop traffic safety training materials that people with limited English speaking abilities could understand. The advisory committee developed a bilingual educational flyer that identifies the primary causal factors in crashes involving Hispanic/Latino drivers (based on a concept from the California Highway Patrol’s SAFE program). This document serves as the foundation for the WSP’s El Protector training and guides the educational effort. Program organizers also created bilingual coloring books to reach children with program messages, and a bilingual pamphlet that is used to convey program messages to area businesses, growers, and community groups.

Obstacles. Program organizers provided the following list of obstacles that were encountered during the development and implementation of the Washington State Patrol’s El Protector program.

• Skepticism concerning the ability of a government agency to assemble the necessary resources in a community to address traffic safety issues effectively.
  
  
• Long-term financial commitment to sustain the effort.
  
  
• Traditional and pervasive fear of law enforcement officers.
  
  
• Lack of commitment from stakeholders.
  
  
• Continuous population movement and migration in the target community.
  
  
• Language, social, and cultural differences.

Partnerships. The program was considered to be a success from the first community meeting that was held in February 2003, despite the obstacles that were encountered along the way. The meeting brought together a diverse group of community leaders, activists, traffic safety experts, and law enforcement officers with the shared goal of saving lives. The El Protector program was immediately embraced by the Spanish- speaking population of the Kennewick and Walla Walla areas and contributed to an atmosphere of cooperation and solidarity. The organizers believe that they have overcome all barriers because of their unwavering commitment to the community and by allowing the trooper who was selected to serve as El Protector to form relationships built on trust and a common language. The Washington State Patrol’s Problem Oriented Public Safety philosophy has been fully integrated in the agency’s El Protector program; the program has been designed to engage and educate the Hispanic/Latino residents of District 3, rather than focus entirely on enforcement. The El Protector program now reaches more than 200,000 Hispanic/Latino residents of the State of Washington by way of Spanish language radio, television, newspapers, employee outreach activities, and participation in community events.

Program Strengths. The primary strengths of the program are the high level of community involvement, the personal qualities of the trooper who serves as the Washington State Patrol’s first El Protector, and the sincere commitment of the agency to provide sustained support and encouragement .

Lessons Learned. 1) Program organizers stress the importance of involving members of the community early in the planning process and when ever possible thereafter; 2) The El Protector program should be the sole work-related responsibility of the person selected for the assignment; 3) Use mass media to send a positive message; 4) Involve the leadership staff of the law enforcement agency; and, 5) Keep everyone in the agency informed about the program, especially personnel in the geographic areas where the program is focused.

Results. The El Protector program made 125 traffic safety presentations during its first year of operation at schools, community events, and places of work, personally contacting nearly 10,000 Hispanic/Latino residents of District 3. The number of fatal crashes in the Kennewick and Walla Walla area declined by 41 percent from the previous year’s total and there were no felony crashes nor were there any fatal crashes during the harvest period.

FREQUENCY OF OPERATIONS / DURATION OF PROGRAM
The Washington State Patrol’s impaired-driving enforcement efforts vary from dedicated, full-time assignments to national campaigns involving two- to eight-week periods. The WSP schedules a full calendar of seasonal, periodic, and strategic special enforcement activities. At least one of the agency’s special emphasis programs is underway at all times.

PARTICIPATION
The Washington State Patrol conducts special emphasis programs alone and in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies.

PUBLIC AWARENESS / PROGRAM VISIBILITY
Many of the Washington State Patrol’s programs listed previously are, essentially, public information and education activities that address the same issues as the special enforcement efforts of the agency. Also, each of the special enforcement programs conducted by the Washington State Patrol is accompanied by a publicity and education campaign intended to elevate public awareness of the enforcement effort. Press conferences are conducted to announce each major campaign during the year and news releases are issued frequently to stimulate media coverage of the enforcement activities. The Washington State Patrol recently hosted a series of town hall meetings throughout the State in collaboration with the Washington State Department of Transportation. Among other reasons, the meetings were conducted to inform the public the agency’s special projects and operations. Community members, local leaders, advocacy groups, news personnel, elected officials, business associations, and government agency representatives attended the 21 sessions. The WSP’s impaired driving enforcement efforts were discussed at each meeting.

Washington State Patrol troopers provide DUI presentations to thousands of military personnel throughout the year at the request of base commanders who are increasingly concerned about traffic safety issues. Also, troopers appear at community events and safety fairs throughout the State to promote safe driving practices and increase public awareness of the agency’s impaired-driving enforcement activities. The Puyallup Fair is the largest of these gatherings in the State, and with more than one million visitors each year is among the ten largest in the Nation. The 2002 and 2003 WSP exhibits at the Puyallup Fair distributed thousands of brochures and provided interactive demonstrations and educational presentations on traffic safety issues. Twenty-one Washington State Liquor Control Board agents assisted 126 WSP troopers in presenting 158 DUI demonstrations using Fatal Vision Goggles to nearly 50,000 visitors to the fair. A “Saved by the Belt/Air Bag” victim vehicle was prominently displayed (a vehicle that had been involved in a fatal DUI crash) to provide a grim but memorable background for the presentations.

FUNDING
Funding is provided by the State legislature and supplemented by grants from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission and NHTSA.

EVIDENCE OF PROGRAM EFFECTS
The Washington State Patrol reports that the percentage of all fatal and injury crashes in which alcohol was involved declined from 9 percent in 2002 to 6.5 percent in 2003. Also, injury crashes on all roadways patrolled by the WSP declined by 4 percent and fatal crashes on interstate highways declined by 17 percent. The WSP made 21 percent more DUI arrests in 2003 than in 2002. Overall, the number of persons killed in traffic crashes during 2003 declined by 8.8 percent in Washington State, compared to less than 1 percent nationwide.

PERCENT CHANGE IN CRASHES AND DUI ARRESTS IN WASHINGTON STATE: 2002 - 2003

TRAFFIC FATALITIES IN WASHINGTON STATE AND THE U.S.: 2002 - 2003

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