Karl Rohde
(Photo © Jonathan Maus)
(Photo © Jonathan Maus)
Karl Rohde, the BTA’s head of public affairs and governmental relations, reports on the BTA blog that he had a “productive meeting” with Captain Vince Jarmer of the Portland Police Bureau Traffic Division yesterday.
They met to discuss the many enforcement-related issues that the BTA (and many in the community) are concerned about.
Karl shared a list of things they’ve agreed upon (emphasis is mine):
We will work with the police and the City to develop a Community Policing Agreement that will outline agreed enforcement practices. This agreement will be developed with participation from the cycling community, PDOT, the Police Bureau, the District Attorneys office, and the City Council. We will assist the police in identifying high-risk traffic locations for enforcement. The Police Bureau will provide us with their monthly report on citations and investigations. We will work with them to identify areas where the report could provide additional information for the purpose of tracking safety issues throughout the City. We will advocate for a change to the policy on when an investigation is conducted and citation issued. We want the City to allocate more resources to the Traffic Division to allow them to investigate all crashes involving vulnerable roadway users. We will work with the Police to advocate for a reduction in the delays to investigations caused by the State Police Crime Lab*. Further, the Police will notify us when investigations are complete and reports are available for review. We will work with the Police to educate officers as the unique vulnerability situations regularly faced by cyclists.
Read the full recap of their meeting on the BTA Blog.
*[Editor’s note: These delays are caused by a back up in processing of blood work and urine analysis by the Oregon Crime Lab that ends up delaying investigations (and therefore issuance of citations for violations) for weeks and months.]
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Perhaps they may want to send samples up to the new Washington State crime lab (in downtown Vancouver) for quicker service – if they can send them out of state. (Perhaps a MOU is in order?)
This is a good start, hopefully it will result in substantive changes within the PPD. Good job Karl.
Good sign. Cautiously optimistic. The agenda seems right. Still looking forward to results.
Here\’s one to add to the list: advocate for the increase in traffic police funding to come from vehicle fees or gas tax, instead of the general fund. [And if there is something in the constitution about gas tax only going to road infrastructure, then that should be changed too.]
Sounds like very good work. Maybe this will help me answer a nagging question. Just how many citations are issued for failure to yield to a cyclist and bike lane violations.
educate officers….ya, right….
I can guarantee the majority of officers couldn\’t care less about bike safety..I\’ve sat in on \”educational\” meetings for officers regarding cyclist safety…all I remember hearing was jiggling and yawns…
So, when will Lt Krueger be fired? The only way to change the culture of an institution is to fire key individuals within that organization that perpetuate that culture. Fire Krueger, and deny his pension for repeated failure to prosecute criminals that kill cyclists.