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Public Information & Education

Our Public Information and Education was very broad in 2011.  We consider ourselves to have a good working relationship with our
community.  We use signs, coloring books, handouts, emails, cups, suckers, flying discs, posters and media outlets to reach a large target area
 of our population and surrounding areas.  Many are listed and shown throughout this section.
                             

Yearly we work in cooperation to present a Public Safety Open House event the first weekend of October.  This event draws hundreds
of citizens from all over to watch demonstrations and interact with different agencies to include the fire department, Sheriff’s Office, Drug Coalition,
 Ambulance companies (air and ground) and our police department.  They are given information in the form of handouts and free materials.  Some
of the Traffic Safety demonstrations are “Drunk Goggles” activities as well as a simulated rollover vehicle to show the importance of wearing your
seatbelts using a mannequin.
          

Also in 2011 we worked with the Department of Public Safety to put together and host a “Citizen’s Academy”.  We were able to graduate
 40 of the original 46 citizens who applied.  This is a 10 week program where citizens come in one night a week for 4 hours and receive instruction
on the workings of law enforcement to include traffic safety.  We are planning to host 2 academies in 2012 due to the excellent feedback and demand
for this program.

Through our photo enforcement program and traffic safety funds we were able to purchase 4 driver safety videos which were presented
 to 3 different classes of high school students.  This was done as an introduction to a full Driver’s Education class which was started the following
semester.  Again, with funds from our photo enforcement and traffic safety budget we were able to help fund the bulk of this program.  We were
able to graduate the first group of students in 2011 and plan to continue funding this program in years to come because we feel that starting with
youth is the key to the future of traffic safety.
        

                                       

We also targeted areas of town where people do business at walk up type counters.  In this project the employees at the counters were
 provided with bright colored cups that read “Stay Alive Don’t Text and Drive” on one side and then had the information for the police department
 on the other side which also read “Our Family Protecting Yours”.  The cups were stuffed with multi colored suckers which read “Buckle Up” on the
 candy portion in white.  The sticks to the suckers were also printed with wording which read “Don’t Be A Sucker – Wear Your Seat Belt” as well
as the department name. 
          

Another information project was a tri-fold handout.  This handout was inserted into bond envelopes provided by the courts which officers
 hand out as they write citations.  Many of these handouts were also given out at several events such as the open house and driver’s education.  The
 handouts were also placed in the lobby of the police department as well as our local court.  Information included Speeding, Red Lights, Child
Restraints, Seat Belts, Distracted Driving and Impaired Driving.

Our city government works with the local schools and does a program called “Kids Rock”.  This gives students the opportunity to tour city
 facilities and also have interactive presentations in their class rooms.  As part of traffic safety for this program, we provided coloring books and a
 presentation to go along with them.  These covered areas of seatbelt safety as well as school bus safety.  These were also handed out at several
other public events

We have worked with our courts to provide a diversion program called CAPPs.  This is a 2 hour class that citizens can elect to participate
 in instead of paying a fine to the court for child safety seat violations.  The program is Children are Priceless Passengers and is provided once a month.
  If participants do not have car seats, they will be given the opportunity to obtain one at the class.  The participants are provided with education on car
 seats as well as statistics regarding child passengers.  Upon successful completion they can have their fines suspended.  We have two certified child
 safety seat technicians who do installs for the public as well as teach the CAPP classes.  Through grant funds from the Governor’s Office of Highway
Safety we get child safety seats to be handed out the public.  Citizens must complete an application and then will be seen by a technician to be
instructed in the proper installation and use of the seat.  We currently have 2 technicians who perform 1 CAPPs class per month.  Also we give out
approximately 150 car seats per year through our programs and inspections.

Each year Buckles the Bear stuffed animals are provided by the Governor's Office of Highway Safety.  The Bears are given out as part of the
 schools reading program for the 3rd graders. Every child who reads 100 books earns a Buckles the Bear. At the end of May, the 3rd graders take
part in a poster contest. This contest kicks off the Police Department's Click It or Ticket enforcement campaign.

For speed awareness we have provided residential areas as well as home owner associations with decals which can be placed on the sides
of their garbage collection containers.  When the citizens place their containers at the roadway for collection they serve as reminders to people driving
 in the areas that the residential speed limits are 25 and to drive safely.

Also as a continued reminder in the area of our schools, we added a sign to the school zone signs.  As a person drives through the school
zone area there are portable roll out signs.  At the ends of the school zones these portable roll out signs remind drivers to again “Buckle Up and Drive
 Safely”.  One step further regarding school education is we posted large signs at the exit areas from our local high school.  The signs read “Buckle Up
 It’s The Law” and “Your Loved Ones Want To See You Tonight”.
                                          

            Our High School has been a large focus for occupant protection efforts.  We are continually reminding students to buckle up.  The information
 flyer below was handed out to all the students.  We even went one step further and during a lunch break for the students we stopped every car leaving
the parking lot and handed a copy of the information to the drivers and made sure everyone was buckled up before leaving the campus.  This was also
 sent to the entire police department and they were told to print and hand out as they wished or needed.

We also provide information through email to “All City Business” which will go out to every employee of the city, volunteer, council member,
Mayor, etc.  Some examples below are regarding distracted driving quiz, occupant protection information, deadliest month on the road facts, Top
 5 things to know about buckling up and holiday traffic safety reminders.  Some of these may also be found in our Officer Education area since they
 also educate our officers as employees of the city who receive the emails.

            We also get a large amount of information and education out to the public through our local media outlets.  One very popular one that we
 have a good working relationship with is the local newspaper called the White Mountain Independent.  Below are several examples of articles
posted.  Several are also used in the enforcement section as well to show our efforts.