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Traffic
Brights
New
lime-green jackets improve visibility for Haltom City officers (Texas)
March
16, 2004
By
Sarah Bahari, Star-Telegram
Staff Writer
(This
article republished here by kind permission of the Star Telegram and Ms.
Bahari. All photographs copyright © Star
Telegram)
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Radar
gun in hand, Haltom City police Sgt. Tony Veltre leaned forward
on his police motorcycle. Watching cars and trucks whiz past, he
sat ready to pull over unsuspecting traffic violators.
But
on a clear day, an attentive driver could have spotted him from
nearly a mile away. Veltre's new dark-colored jacket with
ultra-reflective lime-green patches is hard to miss.
"Visibility
is everything for a motor officer," Veltre said. "The
old leather vest may be traditional, but as far as safety goes,
they're not as good as these."
Street
safety has long been a concern for traffic officers. But
departments are taking more measures to keep officers safe, in
part because of better technology.
In
September, a new state law went into effect that requires
drivers approaching a stopped emergency vehicle to move out of
the closest lane or drop 20 mph below the posted speed limit.
"Obviously,
a lot of departments are concerned about this," said Jack Grant of
the International Association of Chiefs of Police. "Anything the
officer can do to increase his visibility is going to help."
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Sgt.
Tony Veltre
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More
officers have been killed in accidents, including traffic stops, than any
other way, Grant said.
In
the last ten years, 154 officers were killed nationwide in traffic
accidents while they were outside their police vehicles, usually helping
another driver, directing traffic, issuing a ticket or responding to an
accident. And in those ten years, 13 officers died that way in Texas, including one in
Fort Worth in 1993.
Police
Officer Alan Chick, 34, was helping a motorist Dec. 22, 1993, when a drunk
driver struck him. He died five days later.
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About
three years ago, the Fort Worth Police Department began issuing
reflective jackets to rookie officers, traffic Capt. Harry Jones said.
The
jacket looks like a regular blue vest, but it reflects light, Jones
said. The department would like every officer to wear one. Each
officer also receives a fluorescent orange vest for directing traffic.
In
Arlington, police officers are required to wear lime-green reflective
vests when they direct traffic but not during routine traffic stops,
traffic Lt. Pat Bridges said.
Some
officers say the reflective jackets can be too bulky or stuffy and are
not practical for hot summer days.
The
clothing can also be pricey. The Haltom City Police Department
purchased five jackets for $300 each.
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Officer
Cody Phillips |
In
Grapevine, officers wear the jackets to direct traffic or work accidents
but not during traffic stops. Sgt. Bob Murphy said that although finances
are always a concern, "we try not to put limits on things of
safety."
Area
police officers said they pay attention to new safety research and ideas
and often evaluate their procedures.
About
six months ago, the International Association of Chiefs of Police
formed a committee to research street safety for traffic officers,
Grant said. The committee is looking at where officers park police
vehicles, where they stand and what they wear. It is also studying
their vehicles' lights and the time of day, and it plans to make
recommendations in the next year.
Although
safety advances have been made, police say, officers still have to be
aware of their surroundings.
"I
can't think of how many times I've been out on the freeway and an
18-wheeler has zipped right by and almost knocked me into the
street," Murphy said. "You've just got to be prepared for
it."
Veltre
said his reflective jacket makes him feel safer, but he knows that it
won't protect him against everything.
"I
don't think that just because of this vest, people won't hit me,"
he said. "It's not 100 percent. I have to watch out for
myself."
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Officer
Phillips writes a speeding ticket. At least no one can say they couldn't
see him coming!
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Source:
All text and photographs used by
kind permission of the Star
Telegram.
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