When Lathrop Police Services asked public through a social media post where they would most like to see traffic enforcement, it generated quite a few comments from people who pulled no punches when it came to what they considered to be the most dangerous intersections and stretches of road in town.
And apparently the Lathrop traffic enforcement division was paying attention.
On Wednesday, Lathrop Police Services deployed its motor officers strategically to the locations that people requested in order to enforce existing traffic regulations and wrote almost three dozen tickets in the process.
At the intersection of Louise and McKinley Avenues, officers cited 17 people on Wednesday for moving violations and other infractions and wrote seven additional citations and two warnings at Lathrop Elementary School. The intersection of Lathrop and Harlan Roads saw six citations issued, while three others were issued at non-specific locations throughout the day.
“We could care less about the number of citations given – what we care about is your safety,” Lathrop Police Services said in a social media post announcing the success of the effort. “Thank you Lathrop for your input and your genuine concern for the safety of your community.”
The impromptu location saturation came just months after almost a dozen motoryclce officers descended on Lathrop as party of a countywide cooperative effort to enforce existing traffic laws and promote safe driving habits.
The success of that program coupled with the wants of the community has prompted Lathrop Police to request the hiring of additional motor officers – a request that was approved by the council – in order to have week-long coverage in the growing city.
Because of Lathrop’s unique location – at the intersection of a major California interstate and a heavily-traveled access corridor – traffic through town as people try to get around freeway congestion has long been a problem, and the recent arrival of large-scale warehousing and trucking firms have raised the stakes on local roadways.
To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.
