Florida Law Enforcement Challenge Instructions

Florida Law Enforcement Challenge Instructions Manual

The following information is designed to guide and assist you in completing your application for the Florida Law Enforcement Challenge. By following these instructions, you can achieve the best score possible for your agency.

Agency Information

Complete the entire contact information section beginning with your agency's name, agency head, agency contact, complete mailing address, phone, fax, address, e-mail, number of sworn officers, and number of patrol officers.

Category Placement and Minimum Qualifications

For the Florida Law Enforcement Challenge, category placement is determined by the number of Patrol Personnel listed on the application. Patrol Personnel shall be defined as zone, traffic, DUI, direct patrol, and other street units who have traffic enforcement as part of their duties. Street supervisory personnel should also be included in the number of patrol personnel. To be considered for the Florida competition, law enforcement agencies must submit a complete application addressing the various areas listed. A minimum score of 100 points will be necessary in order to qualify for Challenge awards.

Organizing an Application

Follow the standardized format for completing a Law Enforcement Challenge application. Include a brief introduction about your agency’s traffic program. Answer all of the listed questions in each chapter of the application. If you don't have the information do not leave it blank. Enter zero (0) if you do not have the requested data, unless the question requires a Yes or No answer. Each chapter of the application is assigned a maximum amount of points

The following information will assist you with organizing and collecting the requested data for your agency's application. Once you have collected the requested information you can begin to enter the data into the on-line report. Save a copy of your completed report in your computer.

Introduction

Give a brief description of your locality’s traffic safety problems as related to occupant protection, speed, and DUI enforcement along with the solutions that you have developed to combat those problems. Also, briefly highlight any additional traffic problems you addressed during the year. Provide one to three years of data or any traffic studies conducted by your agency to back up your problem identification.

Chapter 1 — Policy and Guidelines (15 possible points)

Check Yes or No on questions pertaining to your agencies policy or guidelines:

Does your agency have:

• Policy / Guideline for seat belt usage by officers (3 points)
• Policy / Guideline for enforcement of occupant protection laws (3 points)
• Policy / Guideline for enforcement of speeding violations (3 points)
• Policy / Guideline for DUI enforcement (3 points)
• Policy/Guideline for enforcement of motorcycle violations (3 points)
• Policy/Guideline for enforcement of distracted driving violations (No Points) New

Chapter 2 — Training of Officers (15 possible points)

This chapter covers your agency's traffic safety training conducted during the year in the areas of occupant protection, impaired driving, speed enforcement, and motorcycle enforcement. Include the percentage of officers trained in each of the following categories:

• Occupant protection (3 points)
• DUI enforcement (3 points)
• Speed enforcement (3 points)
• Motorcycle enforcement (3 points)
• Distracted Driving (No Points) New
• Other traffic safety training (3 points)

(Example: If you have 100 patrol officers and 50 officers received training in occupant protection then 50% of your officers received occupant protection training). Roll call training and training bulletins that are related to and promote the Click It or Ticket and Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over mobilizations are examples of accepted traffic safety training.

There are several traffic safety training aids listed on the LEL web-site under resources.

Chapter 3 — Incentives and Recognition (20 possible points)

Points are awarded to agencies that reward officers for a job well done and citizens who practice safe driving. Rewards and incentives are important elements in letting people know that traffic safety is a priority in the community and within the agency.

Does your agency recognize officers and/or citizens for their traffic safety efforts? If so, provide the names of the recipients of these awards.

• Participation in Saved by the Belt programs (4 points)
• Recognition of officers for DUI enforcement. (4 points)
• Recognition of officers for speed enforcement. (4 points)
• Recognition of officers for seat belt enforcement. (4 points)
• Recognition of officers for motorcycle enforcement (4 points)

Chapter 4 — LEL Program Participation (50 possible points)

Points awarded for this section are based upon your agency's participation in the following FDOT funded traffic safety programs and attendance at Local Area Network (LAN) meetings. Your agency must have completed the Challenge applications on-line at www.floridalel.org. to receive points.

Did your agency participate in the following traffic safety programs:

• 2009 Florida Law Enforcement Challenge (15 points)
• 2010 Click It or Ticket Challenge (11.5 points)
• 2010 DUI Challenge (11.5 points)

How many LAN meetings did your agency attend in 2011?

• 2011 LEL Program Local Area Network Meetings (12 points)

Six meetings a year, each meeting attended = 2 points

Chapter 5 — Enforcement Activity (50 possible points)

Provide the number of citations issued by your department for the following categories for entire year 2011:

• All Safety belts violations (driver, passenger, child restraint) (5 points)
• Speed violations (5 points)
• Motorcycle violations (5 points)
• The number and type of special enforcement efforts conducted. (5 points)

(Example: checkpoints, saturation patrols)

• Total number of DUI arrest for last three years. (15 points)
• Total number of citations issued for the last three years. (15 points)
• Total number of distracted driving citations issued (No points) New

(Example: careless driving, reckless driving, failure to use due care as it relates to cell phone use, or other distractions)

Citation data can be found with your agency's record department. You can also check with the Clerk of Courts in your jurisdiction or visit the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle (DHSMV) web-site at www.flhsmv.gov. Search: Annual Uniform Traffic Citation Statistics

Chapter 6—Effectiveness of Efforts (50 possible points)

Effectiveness is the most important part of any traffic safety program. What was your agency's success in increasing traffic safety, reducing traffic crashes, and saving lives? The secret to this section is very simple: do the research and find the numbers! Not only will it help you in your Challenge application, but this important evaluation data will also help you build a stronger, more effective traffic program. Address your traffic safety program’s effectiveness in the following areas:

Data to be collected for the following years: 2009 / 2010 / 2011

Safety belt usage rate over the last three years. (5 points)

• Total number of crashes over the last three years. (5 points)
• Total number of injury crashes over the last three years. (5 points)
• Total number of alcohol related crashes over the last three years. (5 points)
• Total number of motorcycle related crashes over the last three years (5 points)
• Total number of traffic related fatalities over the past three years. (5 points)
• Total number of speed related fatalities over the last three years (5 points)
• Total number of alcohol related fatalities over the last three years. (5 points)
• Total number of safety belt related fatalities over the last three years. (5 points)
• Total number of motorcycle related fatalities over the last three years. (5 points)
• Total Number of distracted driving related crashes in 2011 (No points)

*We need agencies to start collecting this data so we can better combat the issues of distracted driving.

Crash data can usually be found with your agency's record department or you can visit the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle (DHSMV) web-site at www.flhsmv.gov. Search: Traffic Crash facts.

Special Award Recognition

In addition to the first, second and third place for each category, Law Enforcement Challenge awards that your agency can receive, there are two special awards that will be given.

The following is a list of special awards categories:

• Rookie of the Year Award:

The Rookie of the Year Award will be presented to an agency entering the Florida Law Enforcement Challenge for the first time. This award is open to all first time entries, regardless of category. An agency applying for the first time should indicate Yes or No in this section.

• Officer of the Year Award:

For Officer of the Year, you may nominate one officer from your agency. This officer should strongly promote all aspects of traffic safety in your jurisdiction. Describe how this officer made a difference with your agency’s traffic safety efforts. An agency that wishes to nominate an officer must complete a narrative describing the nominees traffic safety initiatives over the year.

Funded by the Department of Transportation