FULTON POLICE HONOR AT
 STATE TRAFFIC CONFERENCE
For agency size 26-35

May 5, 2008 - Fulton Police received a first place award at the Empire State Law Enforcement Traffic Safety conference April 29, 2008 in Glens Falls , New York . Police agencies from throughout New York are eligible to participate in the statewide Law Enforcement Challenge which assesses various components of an agency’s traffic safety initiatives. Other winners included Geneseo Police, Camillus Police, and the Cornell University Police. In addition to Chief Orlo Green, Fulton Police Departments Traffic Division Commander, Sgt. Joseph Pappalardo attended the conference where various topics were presented, including innovations in motorcycle safety, occupant protection, police pursuits and more.

As part o Fulton PD’s application for the Law Enforcement Challenge, various collision related statistics were provided along with safety enforcement activity. FPD programs include their new Bicycle head injury prevention program, Fulton PD’s School bus safety initiative, Buckle Up New York, Selective Traffic Enforcement Program which focuses on aggressive driving, STOP DWI, commercial vehicle enforcement, Operation Safe Stop, These programs are supported by funding through the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, Oswego County STOP DWI and the City of Fulton.

The First place award was accompanied with a prizes including a new STALKER radar unit valued at $3000.00. Fulton Police Department also took a second place in 2006, and a first place in last years Challenge. Winners from this year’s challenge are forwarded on to competition on the national level.  

FULTON POLICE WIN AAA GOLD AWARD FOR TRAFFIC SAFETY

  The following is a news release provided by AAA:

AAA HONORS CITY OF FULTON FOR TRAFFIC SAFETY EFFORTS

FULTON , NY , JANUARY 10, 2008 --AAA Western and Central New York has
recognized the City of Fulton Police Department for its success in AAA’s Community Traffic Safety Program.  AAA’s Gold Award was presented today to Police Chief Mark Spawn.    

AAA’s Community Traffic Safety Program is an awards and recognition program for communities of all sizes nationwide that identify and address their local traffic safety issues.  The program considers basic crash statistics, presence of a traffic safety leadership group, programs, projects, and their effectiveness.  Emphasis is placed on the “4 E’s” of Enforcement, Education, Engineering and Emergency Response.

The awards progress from Honorable Mention to Bronze, Silver, Gold, and to the highest level, Platinum.   Fulton received a Gold Award, given to communities that implement programs and projects that demonstrate superior effort at addressing local traffic safety issues.   Fulton is a five-time Gold Award recipient and previously received a Platinum Award in 2003.

“The purpose of AAA’s Community Traffic Safety Program is to recognize the leadership and reward the efforts of communities that strive to advance the cause of traffic safety,” said Tom Chestnut, President/CEO, AAA Western and Central New York .  “We’re delighted to honor the City of Fulton for their continued success.”

            Fulton demonstrated success with programs addressing drunk and impaired driving, aggressive and unsafe driving behaviors, speeding, occupant protection, child passenger, pedestrian, bicycle, school bus, and work zone safety.

In NY State, top Platinum Honors were awarded to only four communities:  Camillus, Ellenville, Garden City and White Plains . Platinum award winners demonstrated a clear trend of improvement over five years and/or provided data that is substantially better than the statewide data for communities of similar size.   

As Upstate New York’s largest motoring and travel organization, AAA provides its 880,000 members with travel, insurance, financial, and automotive-related services.  Since its founding in 1900, AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA clubs can be visited at www.AAA.com

BICYCLE HELMET CAMPAIGN !  

FULTON, NY - MAY 17, 2007 - Fulton Police have begun a special head injury prevention program with the assistance of several community partners. A special kick-off ceremony was held this morning at the Fulton Community Center with several partner agencies, businesses and organizations represented. This special program will focus on enforcement of the New York State law which requires children under age 14 to wear an approved helmet when riding a bicycle. Children under age 14 are also required to wear a helmet when using in-line skates, a skateboard or on a scooter. Fulton Police received a $3000 bicycle safety grant from the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee which will provide for an enhanced bicycle obstacle course, bicycles for children to use on the course, and a number of helmets to be distributed at the annual Bicycle Rodeo.
   

To stress the importance of wearing a helmet, Fulton PD produced the above poster to demonstrate the tragic results when a child does not have the proper head protection. 
Special thanks to Oswego County Ambulance and Lee Memorial Hospital staff 
for their assistance in this promotion.

Fulton Police Bicycle Patrol Officers will be watching for children without helmets. For those who are not wearing the appropriate helmet, they may get a "ticket"! But these tickets are not a summons to court. Instead, it is a notice to inform the child and their parents about the helmet law and more important, the risk of serious injury for those who ride without a helmet. And for those children properly wearing a helmet who are spotted by the Bicycle Patrol? Well, they will also get a "ticket", but these tickets are to acknowledge their responsibility in wearing a helmet. As a special treat, each "attaboy" ticket will also have a surprise attached to it. Local merchants and organizations have partnered with FPD and are donating coupons for free food, dessert and 'dollars-off' coupons to help us reinforce proper helmet use! Thanks to Subway, Fajita Grill, Carvel’s, McDonald’s, Burger King and the YMCA

Children can check out our obstacle course at the Bicycle Rodeo at the Community Center on Saturday, June 2 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. If your child does not have a bicycle with them at the Bicycle Rodeo, don't worry - we will have two-wheelers for the bigger kids and tricycles for the little tykes to try out on the course. Bring the family - there will be seven air hop rides, sidewalk chalk art contest, arts and crafts, free food, a live band AND MORE!

 In the above photograph, representatives from Burger King, Lee Memorial Hospital, Child Advocacy Center and Child Fatality Review Team, YMCA, Fulton Rotary, Menter Ambulance, Doyle's Bike Shop and Fulton Police celebrate the official kick-off with bicyclists Mallory Clark, Cole Green and Joanna Pappalardo.

Special Thanks to our Community Partners:
Youth Advocate Program, Doyle's Bike Shop, Oswego County Traffic Safety Board,
Governor's Traffic Safety Committee, Oswego County Ambulance Service,
Lee Memorial Hospital, Fulton PBA, Fulton Rotary, Steve Chirello Advertising,
Child Advocacy Center of Oswego County, Child Fatality Review Team, the City of Fulton,
McDonald's, Fajita Grill, Carvel's, Burger King, Subway and the Fulton YMCA.

FULTON, NY - MAY 29, 2007 - The Fulton Police Benevolent Association (PBA) is providing about 200 helmets for the annual Bicycle Rodeo and head injury prevention program. PBA President Steve Lunn said, "The PBA is proud to participate in the bike rodeo and be part of a program that helps prevent injuries of young riders."

In the photograph at right, Fulton Police Chief Mark Spawn receives a helmet from PBA President Steve Lunn (far right) while FPD Bicycle Patrol Officer Michael Curtis looks on. Chief Spawn said, "We are grateful for the continued support of the PBA. Without their help we would not be able to reach the number of children that we do." The PBA has been providing helmets to the youth of the Fulton community for several years.

The annual Bicycle Rodeo will be held on Saturday, June 2nd, 2007 at the Fulton Community Center from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The event will feature a live band, air hop rides, bicycle obstacle course, free helmets and fittings, bicycle inspections, arts, crafts and food. For more details go to the Fulton Police web site at www.fultonpd.com and click on the Traffic Safety page.

FULTON POLICE WIN TOP HONORS AT 
STATE TRAFFIC CONFERENCE 
FOR AGENCY SIZE OF 26-50 OFFICERS

APRIL 19, 2007 - Fulton Police received the first place award at the Empire State Law Enforcement Traffic Safety conference today at Saratoga Springs , New York . Police agencies from throughout New York are eligible to participate in the statewide Law Enforcement Challenge which assesses various components of an agency's traffic safety initiatives. At the Saratoga Conference Center , Chief Mark Spawn received the award from Kenneth Carpenter, Executive Director of the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee. Other award winners were Cornell University Police, Camillus Police and Geneseo Police. Fulton Police Department's Traffic Division Commander, Sgt. Joseph Pappalardo, attended the conference where various topics were presented including commercial vehicle enforcement, license plate reader technology, night time enforcement of safety restraints, insurance fraud and more.  

As part of Fulton PD's application for the Law Enforcement Challenge, various collision related statistics were provided along with safety restraint compliance surveys, public education information and enforcement activity. FPD programs include Buckle Up New York , Selective Traffic Enforcement Program which focuses on aggressive driving, STOP DWI, commercial vehicle enforcement, Operation Safe Stop (school bus safety), bicycle and pedestrian safety and more. These programs are supported by funding through the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee, Oswego County STOP DWI and the city of Fulton .

Fulton Police will be presenting two innovative programs at the fall traffic safety conference to be held in Lake Placid, New York: the school bus violation enforcement program which provided bus drivers with a comprehensive and consolidated reporting form, and a special bicycle helmet initiative which will be launched in about a month.

The first place award is accompanied by prizes of more than $3,000 in emergency signaling equipment and a voice-recognition license plate query device. Fulton PD tied for second place in the previous year's Law Enforcement Challenge. Winners from this year's challenge are forwarded on to competition on the national level. 

OPERATION SAFE STOP

MARCH 20, 2007 - Police will be keeping an eye on traffic around school buses in Operation Safe Stop. March 27, 2007 has been designated Operation Safe Stop Day throughout New York State . What is Operation Safe Stop? It is a special initiative which seeks to promote school bus safety through education and enforcement efforts. Operation Safe Stop is a cooperative project supported by the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, the New York State Education Department, the New York Association for Pupil Transportation, the New York State School Bus Contractors Association, the student transportation industry, and state, county, city and local law enforcement agencies.

Did you know an estimated 50,000 motor vehicles illegally pass New York State school buses every day? Between 2002 and 2005, 97 pedestrians under age 19 were injured and 1 killed by motorists in New York State passing stopped school buses.

The law says it is illegal - and very dangerous - to pass a stopped school bus when the red lights located on top of the bus are flashing. You must stop whether you are approaching the school bus from the front or overtaking it from the rear. You must always stop for flashing red lights, even on divided highways and on school grounds. The first time an operator is convicted for illegally passing a school bus the fine can range from $250.00 to $400.00, and 5 points on your license and/or possibly 30 days in jail. Worse yet, the memory of hitting or killing a child may be one you carry for the rest of your life!

It is important to remember: Yellow lights mean the bus is going to stop. Slow down! Red lights mean students are getting on or off the bus. STOP! STOP! STOP!

·  SCHOOL BUS VIOLATIONS - 
REPORTING FORM & SUPPORTING DEPOSITION

As part of our Operation Safe Stop and traffic safety initiatives, the Fulton Police Department launched a new reporting protocol to assist in the identification, reporting and prosecution of motorists who pass stopped school busses. This new protocol is found in the attached "supporting deposition". In this case, a supporting deposition is a written document by a school bus driver which would be filed by police in connection with a traffic charge in court. The factual allegations in the supporting deposition would ‘support or tend to support’ the traffic charge against a driver.

To promote safety related to school bus operations, this new form was designed:

·  to capture the necessary and relevant details of an offense in a timely manner,

·  to expedite reporting of an offense to Fulton Police,

·  to assist complainants in refreshing recollection months later at trial, and

·  to assist prosecutors in identifying the proof necessary to sustain a conviction.

Although the form is generally self-explanatory, Fulton PD would be pleased to provide an overview and introduction of this new protocol to school bus drivers and transportation administrators. While the form gathers a number of pieces of information, it will not likely capture all of the necessary information relating to an alleged violation. Bus drivers and witnesses are encouraged to note other pertinent information which may include weather, visibility, traffic and other conditions or circumstances. We can send your bus drivers a master form via a .pdf file - simply send a request to me at mspawn@fultonpd.com or go to the Traffic Safety page at our web site at www.FultonPD.com.

Mark A. Spawn
Chief of Police

Download the form here: School Bus Driver Reporting Form    

FREQUENTLY ASKED TRAFFIC QUESTIONS

QUESTION: What color of accent lights can I put on my car? 
ANSWER: Any type of accent lighting is illegal for a vehicle used on the road. The best guide is just to maintain the stock lighting that came with the car when new. (Certain auxiliary brake lamps are permitted, sometimes referred to as deck lamps, but they must be approved by SAE - just look for the SAE imprint on the lens cover)

QUESTION: I was told that hubcap lights are illegal - what's the scoop?
ANSWER: They are illegal - basically, they are an unauthorized colored light.

QUESTION: I have a headlight modulator on my motorcycle - is this legal?
ANSWER: The use of headlight modulators FOR MOTORCYCLES ONLY are permissible. These devices causes s flashing or modulating effect to the headlight to increase the visibility of the motorcycle.

QUESTION: I have smoked lenses on my headlights, and cutouts over my tail lights - any problems with these on the road?
ANSWER: Yup, big problem. Once you start covering up the original equipment (headlight and tail light lenses), you open yourself up to getting a ticket for inadequate lights, especially if you are involved in an accident. But the answer to this one seems pretty clear to us - we understand that these are dressy, sporty, etc. for the car, but why would you want to decrease the effectiveness of your headlights - your ability to see and be seen. The same is true for tail lights - with the amount of money that people spend on these accessories to dress up some very expensive cars and trucks, you are essentially increasing your risk to get in an accident. 

COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SAFETY - Fulton Police participate in a number of traffic safety initiatives. Police regularly conduct commercial vehicle inspection checkpoints, teaming FPD officers with inspectors from the New York State Department of Transportation. Some violations require that trucks be ordered off the road until repairs can be made. These "out of service" violations are not unusual at inspection stations. Inspections such as these often find problems might not otherwise be detected UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE! 

Commercial vehicle inspections are part of the Fulton Police Department's traffic safety enforcement initiatives. Officers training includes special emphasis on the technical, mechanical and legal aspects of commercial transportation. Violations detected at Tuesday’s checkpoint included defective lights, inadequate brakes, and inadequate safety devices.

IMPAIRED DRIVING - Another effort in which FPD has been involved with for several years is the Oswego County STOP DWI program. STOP DWI provides funds for enforcement equipment and for special DWI patrols and checkpoints. Funds for this program are derived from fines paid by drunk drivers. FULTON POLICE RECENTLY RECEIVED ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR IMPAIRED DRIVER ENFORCEMENT - THE GOVERNOR'S TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMITTEE GRANTED ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR FULTON TO CRACK DOWN ON IMPAIRED DRIVING. MOVING PATROLS AND CHECKPOINTS WILL BE USED TO IDENTIFY DRUNK DRIVERS.