Page 6
THE BATTALION
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1977
PoUce want to curb mishaps
Traffic patrols increase in C.S.
BY DAVID TEWES
GOING TO
LAW SCHOOL?
Attend Discussion on SMU Law
School
Saturday October 29 8:00 A.M.
Room 145 of the MSC
Valuable Scholarship will be dis
cussed. Presentation will be
made by John Tyler Class of ’75
a Student at SMU Law School.
Many good things can be said
about the growth of a city, but not
about the associated increase in traf
fic and its problems.
One of the biggest problems is
the number of deaths and injuries
related to traffic mishaps. There
have been four deaths in College
Station this year caused by traffic-
accidents, but the College Station
police began a program recently to
curb the number of deaths and in-
Newton said most accidents occur
on Friday from 7:30 to 8:30 a. m. and
4:30 to 6 p.m. But the worst acci
dents are on Friday and Saturday
nights, he added. Newton said every
officer on duty during peak hours is
on the street watching for violators.
To prevent wrecks, the police
must know what causes them. Three
of the officers here specialize in in
vestigating wrecks and Newton said
he hopes to have all the officers re
ceive special training.
idea that he could be caught any
place, anytime. And when he is
caught, the violator is usually given
a ticket which results in a fine.
Violators are more likely to re
member a fine than a warning
ticket.
“We don’t stay in any one are too
long unless there is an excessive
number of violations there,” New
ton said. “I would say at least three-
fourths of the traffic violators that
we stop are (Texas A&M) students.”
juries.
The program, which is a modifica
tion of the selective traffic enforce
ment program (STEP) used here be
fore, allows police to expand their
traffic patrols. Before October, they
could patrol only high accident
areas.
High accident areas are the four
streets surrounding the Texas A&M
campus plus Dominik Drive.
Southwest Parkway, Holleman
Drive and Anderson Street.
But after receiving complaints
and noticing moving traffic-
violations in residential areas, police
officials decided to try to control
traffic in these areas also.
“I don’t know how much success
we’ll have in preventing accidents,”
said Sgt. Mason Newton of the Col
lege Station Police Department.
“All we can do is try.”
Six of the 32 uniformed police are
assigned specifically to catch traffic
violaters. Two work the morning
shift, two in the evening and one at
night. Newton works when needed.
The other officers who answer com
plaint calls can also help with traffic
when necessary.
There are 302 streets in College
Station and deciding which ones to
patrol isn’t easy. Newton said police
are guided by the time and location
of complaints as well as by their own
experience. In other words, the area
police patrol shifts with the day of
the week and the time of day.
“I don’t know how
much success we’ll have
in preventing accidents.
All we can do is try.”
— Sgt. Mason Newton,
College Station
Police Department
“Looking around seems to be the
major cause of wrecks,” Newton
said. “There is a lot to look at around
here and apparently (drivers) are
doing it.
“We are after moving violations
which are dangerous to everybody.
We are looking for DWIs, speeding,
improper turns and improper lane
changes. Hopefully we can get a few
of these DWIs off the road before
they kill themselves or somebody
else.”
The department has two radar
units to help control speeding. They
are used almost constantly on the
morning and evening shifts. Radar
isn’t used at night because there is
only one officer working traffic. His
main job is watching for drunken
drivers.
But just patrolling and setting up
radar units doesn’t prevent moving
violations. Drivers must be made
aware of the police presence.
Police try to give the violator the
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Whether the new STEP program
works remains to be seen.
The original STEP program
began earlier this year, was suc
cessful in catching more violators.
This can be seen in the number of
tickets issued.
In the first eight months of 1977,
police issued 5,213 traffic tickets
and 340 accident tickets. In the first
eight months of 1976, police issued
4,611 traffic tickets and 438 accident
tickets.
These figures show there has
been a shift in the number of tickets
given from accident tickets to traffic-
tickets. Although there is no accu
rate way to prove it, it appears that
police attempts to prevent moving
violations before they cause wrecks
has worked.
These figures are the result of the
original STEP program. If this is any
indication of how the modified pro
gram will work, fewer deaths and in
juries might be expected.
There are three major factors
which could determine the future
effectiveness of the new police ef
fort: the growth of Texas A&M, fuel
costs and the economy.
Since most traffic violators are
Texas A&M students, the program’s
effectiveness could depend on how
much the University grows.
A student population study was
done by Jim Ericson, a graduate
student enrolled in a development
feasibility and design laboratory in
the department of urban and re
gional planning at Texas A&M.
1977
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
5,000 _
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
There were 5,213 traffic tickets and 340 accident tickets is-l
sued in the first eight months of 1977. In 1976, in the samel
time period, 4,611 traffic tickets and 438 accident tickets wert|
written.
This means there probably won’t
be a significant increase in traffic
here which would cause more prob
lems for the police.
But if there is an increase in traf
fic, motorists may soon find it hard
to pay for gasoline because the Or
ganization of Petroleum Export
Countries will probably raise
price of crude oil by next year.
A third factor is the eeonoi
Money must be available to,
gasoline and cars before they pa
problem for the police here.
Mot
teacl
dent
His study indicates the number of
students enrolled at Texas A&M will
increase until 1980 and then gradu
ally decline. There are about 28,833
students now enrolled and the study
predicts an increase to about 30,632
students by 1980.
Ericson declined to estimate the
study’s accuracy, but he said it is
“reasonably accurate” provided no
major changes occur in Bryan-
College Station.
Atheist violates decenc;
alleged theft contested
P«
By F
Webst
■acher a
format im
United Press International
AUSTIN — Atheist Madalyn
Murray O’Hair and her son broke
out in a shouting match at a news
conference Wednesday over an al
leged theft by an employee.
O’Hair said her son has sided with
people trying to cripple her Ait*
can Atheist Center.
William Murray respondedk
fusing his mother of violatialji
cency standards and wrongly da
ing a former employee witlitkl
computer equipment.
team, on
ART PLASTER
PLAQUES &
FIGURINES
ART & CRAFT
SUPPLIES
Murray called the news
ence to defend the former em
whom O Hair accused of steal
two computer tapes from then
ter.
“Madalyn O Hair has mailt
broad range of accusations
number of individuals in tlie[»
few days, Murray said. "Son*
those individuals believe
O’Hair is using these accusation
cover managerial problems vii
her non-profit corporation
O’ Hair, 58, said she had filed«i
plaints against Susan Stroebel
her husband with the city attoi*
office.
But Murray s lawyer, former
tin Mayor Jeffrey Friedman, sail
arrest warrant had been is»
against the Stroebels.
At that point O Hair retorti
“You are a liar.
Austin police said O'Hair
ported computer equipment sill
from her office and said aninvesi
tion was being conducted but
charges had been filed.
“There are boundaries of dece
that I think all of us. must obserr
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Saturday
October 29
8p.m.
Rudder
Auditorium
$1 and ID
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