Arizona DPS joins “Click it or Ticket” to reduce crash deaths
In 2008, 12,671 passenger vehicle occupants died in motor-vehicle crashes nationwide between the hours of 6 p.m. and 5:59 a.m., according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Nearly two thirds (64 percent) of those who died were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crashes, compared to less than half (45 percent) of the passenger vehicle occupants killed during the daytime hours of 6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m.
On Arizona’s state highway system in 2008, there were 288 fatal crashes resulting in 345 deaths. In 124 of these crashes seatbelts were not worn. Over half of these, 148 crashes, occurred at night.
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DPS seizes $185,000 from commercial vehicle near Gila Bend
Late afternoon Thursday, Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers assigned to the agency’s Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Bureau (CVEB) seized approximately $185,000 in U.S. Currency.
Officers stopped a semi-truck commercial car carrier traveling westbound on Interstate 8 near Gila Bend. During the inspection of the car carrier, questions arose regarding a pickup truck being hauled by the carrier.
The officers obtained consent to search from the driver, searched the pick-up, and discovered a hidden compartment under an elaborate speaker system. Officers accessed the hidden compartment where they then discovered the cash.
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No injuries in hot-air balloon crash near Gila Bend
Late morning Wednesday, the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) was contacted by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) and requested assistance in the search and rescue of a hot-air balloon reported down west of Gila Bend near Interstate 8.
A DPS Air Rescue Helicopter was launched from the Phoenix area around 11:00 am, and ground units were also dispatched to the scene. Around noon, the air unit located the red and white balloon in a wash, about 40 miles due east of Gila Bend and six miles north of Interstate 8.
The balloon pilot was still with the downed craft and informed the DPS crew that he was not injured. The man also stated he had three other passengers on-board who had escaped injury as well.
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I-10 traffic backed up for miles due to reported hostage situation
Both directions of Interstate 10 were closed Sunday afternoon in Casa Grande while police faced what they thought was a hostage situation.
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Suspect arrested in theme park pass scam
Following a two month investigation Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) Detectives assigned to financial crimes arrested a Phoenix area man for selling fraudulent theme park passes to unsuspecting buyers.
The suspect advertised the tickets and passes on CraigsList and would then meet the victims in person to sell groups of un-validated passes stolen from area retailers for hundreds of dollars. Many of the victims and their families made the trip to southern California only to find out that the passes were of no value.
Angered and frustrated, victims contacted DPS detectives who began a thorough investigation which led to the arrest. The suspect was booked into the Maricopa County 4th Avenue Jail on charges of Fraudulent Schemes, a class two felony. (A.R.S. 13-2310)
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DPS using GPS technology to avoid danger of high-speed pursuits
Earlier this summer, the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) became the first state-level law enforcement agency in the country to deploy the state-of-the-art StarChase Pursuit Management System. StarChase is a real-time tagging and tracking system used to reduce all of the inherent risks related to dangerous high-speed police pursuits.
The system is comprised of a compressed-air launcher mounted in the grille of a police vehicle. With the push of a button by a law enforcement officer, the compressed-air launcher deploys a GPS tracking tag that adheres to the suspect vehicle. The tracking tag transmits location-based updates that enable law enforcement dispatchers to track the vehicle’s location and movements via a secure, web-based mapping application. Once the suspect vehicle is tagged, dispatchers can monitor the movements of the vehicle while keeping officers fully apprised of its location.
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Arizona DPS offers monsoon driving safety tips
The Arizona Department of Public Safety offers the following traffic safety tips to assist motorists during the monsoon season. A desert monsoon storm can be a thing of beauty to watch but it can also be dangerous or even deadly. Conditions during a monsoon can range from high winds and blowing dust to torrential rains which can create hazardous driving conditions:
First and foremost SLOW DOWN. The posted speed limit may not be a safe speed to travel in bad weather. On wet roads your vehicle will have less traction than on a dry road. Slower travel speeds allow for safer braking and stopping distances.
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Arizona DPS stresses driver awareness during the long Memorial Day weekend
The Arizona Department of Public Safety is prepared for an increase in highway traffic as thousands of drivers take to the road for the long Memorial Day weekend. Last year at this time 17 people lost their lives in a total of 14 crashes across Arizona over the Memorial Day weekend.
During this year’s holiday weekend, DPS will increase enforcement efforts during peak collision times. This coincides with DPS’ participation in Operation Combined Accident Reduction Effort (CARE) – a national initiative that relies on state enforcement agencies to reduce highway collisions, especially during holiday periods.
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Arizona DPS and the Arizona Trucking Association wanting drivers to “Share the Road”
The Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) recently partnered with the Arizona Trucking Association (ATA) in the “Share the Road” program which is a high-visibility traffic enforcement detail and education program. The goal of the program is to educate drivers on how to safely and lawfully interact with large trucks and buses on the road. During the program, officers will aggressively enforce traffic laws when violations are committed by both passenger and commercial vehicles.
On May 21st, 2009, the ATA “Share the Road” truck and trailer will be on display in the Casa Grande area. ATA staff will be providing information regarding commercial vehicles and their operations, allowing people to sit in a commercial vehicle to better understand their operations, and they will be available to answer any questions. During this time, DPS officers will be conducting an enforcement detail targeting passenger and commercial vehicles between Phoenix and Casa Grande on Interstate 10 that commit hazardous moving violations.
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Fatal I-10 accident snarls traffic on SR347
A fatal two-vehicle accident on Interstate 10, just north of Riggs Road, closed the freeway and forced eastbound I-10 traffic onto southbound Maricopa Road Saturday evening.
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