Six officers get certified in bicycle crash investigation
Posted by Jonathan Maus (Editor-in-Chief) on April 12th, 2006 at 7:02 am
Six Portland Police officers from the Traffic Division recently underwent a comprehensive, 40-hour pedestrian and bicycle crash investigation course offered by the Institute of Police and Technology Management (IPTM) in Jacksonville Florida.
According to IPTM literature, the course addressed the special dynamics involved in pedestrian and bicycle traffic crashes. From reaction times to victim injury analysis to environmental factors. In addition to classroom instruction, the officers participated in staged crash situations that gave them hands-on experience.
According to Traffic Division Commander Bill Sinnott:
“This is a big deal, because these officers are now considered experts in this type of work. To have six of them on our team is a tremendous asset to our department and to the community.”
I think it’s great the Police Bureau has made this investment in their officers and I hope it means we’ll see an increase in the number of serious-injury bicycle crashes that actually get investigated. The problem is that these investigations don’t always happen because they are very resource-intensive and strain the already thin ranks of the Traffic Division.
Let’s all just hope these guys never get a chance to use their training.
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April 12th, 2006 09:20
This is great news. Are there any plans to commision a cool patch for these officers? It would be a good idea to develop some Esprit de corps within the dept regarding these capabilities.
April 12th, 2006 12:32
Hey Jonathan,
Your site is an inspiration! Thanks for your hard work and for your amazing knack to bring together all types of cyclists. You've created an essential forum for us to share thoughts and ideas, no matter our bike stripes.
Ayleen
April 13th, 2006 11:31
This is indeed great news. And I can't help but think it was inspired by the efforts of the BTA's crash team. We have been working with the police to get them to properly investigate bicycle crashes since our inception some 6 months or so ago. We have been supporting bicyclists in their court cases and calling the DA's office and police officers regularly to put pressure on them to press charges on errant drivers. Far too often these cases get dropped and no charges are filed against the driver. If you would like to help us out we have a meeting tonight at 6:00 at Berbati's restaurant.
May 22nd, 2006 07:09
[...] Officer Darke Hull of the Portland Police Bureau Traffic Division is one of six Portland officers to have been recently certified as a Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Investigation expert. The certification came after a rigourous, 5-day course offered by the Institute of Police Technology and Management (IPTM). [...]
August 15th, 2006 08:59
[...] First and foremost is my ongoing desire to build good, working relationships with the cops (especially the Traffic Division). Whether you like them or not, I think our experience as cyclists will be much better if we continue to work with them, not against them. Consider this; the Traffic Division writes the vast majority of bike tickets, they work bike parades, patrol Critical Mass, and they investigate bike crashes. As time goes on it’s inevitable that we’ll come together, and whether those moments are constructive or destructive is up to us. [...]