The Traffic Division of the Bellingham Police Department includes a sergeant, six police officers and four parking enforcement officers. The sergeant and police officers patrol Bellingham on motorcycles and conduct traffic enforcement concentrating on collision-causing violations, school zone speed enforcement, neighborhood traffic complaints and streets with a high incidence of collisions.
The Traffic Division is responsible for investigating serious injury, fatal, felony and police vehicle collisions throughout Bellingham. The officers utilize the total station and scanning equipment to provide forensic mapping for these collisions. All Traffic Officers are trained as technical collision investigators and several are collision reconstruction investigators. These officers provide expert testimony in courts of law including the Whatcom County Superior Court and Bellingham Municipal Court.
The primary purpose of the Traffic Division is to promote safe and efficient flow of vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian traffic in the city of Bellingham. The officers of the Traffic Division focus on the three “E’s” of Traffic Safety:
Enforcement: Traffic Officers enforce the Federal, State, and Local laws focusing on those rules which when not followed lead to the most collisions and serious injuries.
The Traffic Division enforcement plan includes random patrols, neighborhood complaint enforcement, emphasis patrols, and our primary focus on those areas with the highest incident of crashes.
Engineering: Traffic Officers are in regular communication with the city’s traffic engineers.
Together we work to make the roadways safer through proper design, signage, and traffic calming measures.
Education: Bellingham Traffic Officers provide education to the public on safe driving practices.
They give safety talks at schools, businesses, and community meetings.
Traffic officers also provide training to fellow officers on safe emergency vehicle operations.
For more information see the BPD website.