ANO file photo
By Sgt. Mike Arkovich
Ames Police Department
(March 15, 2012 – 1:30 p.m.) Ames police officers John Barney and Amber Rozeboom have been selected to receive the 2012 Commissioners Special Award for Traffic Safety. The award will be presented to them at the annual Governors Traffic Safety Conference held in Sioux City in April.
The award recognizes outstanding traffic safety contributions by individual officers. The selection is based on the officer’s commitment to traffic safety and service provided beyond routine duties. The goal of the traffic safety program is to reduce death and injury crashes.
During 201, Officer Barney and Officer Rozeboom were leading officers showing great interest in traffic enforcement and crash reduction.
Officer Barney issued 462 traffic citations and Officer Rozeboom issued 447 citations. They were proactive in areas of the city where crash rates were high.
Officer Barney and Officer Rozeboom exhibited a strong knowledge of local ordinances and Iowa law. Both officers were reasonable and efficient while on patrol. Officer Barney and Officer Rozeboom were proactive in other ways besides traffic enforcement.
They conducted several investigations and made several arrests. Many of the arrests came from the results of traffic stops and others were from their normal duties as a police officer by taking their calls for service, being active in community policing, and being a proactive officer.
Officer Barney and Officer Rozeboom went above and beyond to improve the traffic safety within the City of Ames.
The Ames Police Department issued almost 30% more traffic citations than in 2010. Because of the high level of visibility and proactive traffic enforcement provided by all officers at the Ames Police Department, crash reports were down 155 from 2010.
The Ames Police Department conducts targeted traffic enforcement throughout the city using grant money provided by the Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau.
5 over
yes, many citations for going 5 over, and a huge fine.
crime
Would like to see an award for crime solving versus traffic tickets. There is a group of people that commit theft and it is on the rise in Ames. I guess you don't make money solving crimes, just ticketing people.
Amen
I am in total agreement with you. When it comes to the Ames police, they cannot catch a cold, let alone a criminal.
Last fall my daughter was a victim of a hit and run. Not only did the Ames Police do nothing, the worthless officer would not even return my call when I inquired about a case update. $1500 later, which came entirely out of my pocket, her car is back on the road.
What a joke.
This award has little to do with safety and everything to do with revenue.
SG
Enforcing the traffic laws by
Enforcing the traffic laws by writing tickets to offenders seems to help with the crash rate. And reducing crashes has a positive impact on the community, as much as reducing crime does. GOOD JOB, Ames PD!
Wow
I'd always heard rumors about competitions for awarding more tickets. Never knew whether to believe them or not.
Now I see that you get awards if you write the most.
reducing crash rates
I doubt that ticketing people going 5 over helps reduce crash rates. There is no comparison to reducing crime and theft. There just isn't any money in reducing crime, but there is money in ticketing people. Don't trust them for various reasons.
Award?
Why in the world would a cop get an award for the amount of traffic tickets given out? Is this not their job? I'm sorry, but an award should be given for going BEYOND the call of duty. Silly.
Beyond
Well, the article says, "The selection is based on the officer’s commitment to traffic safety and service provided beyond routine duties."
So that tells me that these two were writing more tickets than their job required.
(Which isn't something, as far as I'm concerned, to be all that proud of.)
And yet
people are still constantly zipping down Storm Street at 45+ mph (where the speed limit is 25). Blowing right through the stop sign on Lynn Avenue where it intersects with Storm Street. Never see a cop writing tickets here.
But, by golly, it's sure a good thing folks are getting tickets for going 5 over on University Blvd.
Bigger issue than speeding tickets
Traffic accidents cost Americans more than $160 billion every year. Compare that to the $20 billion for violent crime and property crime combined.
Traffic accidents kill more than 40,000 Americans every year, nearly three times more than from violent crime.
I am glad that APD is doing something about traffic safety. I am happy you got a ticket. Honestly, you should have thanked the officer because he may have saved your life.
wrong
going 5 over isn't likely to result in a major crash, just ordinary people trying to get to work. But 5 over, results in a huge fine. Don't think that tickets result in saving lives, you are mistaken.
to wrong
Police don't ticket for 5 over. Be honest with yourself, you were going faster than 5 MPH when you were issued a ticket. The officer was being kind and wrote down 5 over on the ticket so you would not get hit for reckless driving. Ordinary people trying to get to work cause serious accidents every day.
BTW, if you choose to fight your 5 over ticket in court, the police will show the judge your actual speed. Then your "huge fine" will be much larger.
not me
I have never received a traffic ticket in Ames, I just know people who have, and getting tired of them always sitting on Duff or by the HS to pick up the kids.
false information
I don't think minor traffic tickets compare to violent crimes, or crimes of theft that we have here in Ames. I know for a FACT that they don't follow up on thefts. it happened to us twice. THEY SIMPLY DON"T CARE!!!!!!!!
No ticket
I haven't had more than an expired parking meter ticket for well over 25 years. (And only one expired meter ticket in that time.)
I'm not the one going 50 mph down Storm Street.
I'm the one obeying the speed limit and having you tailgate me for doing it.
Tailgating
I too drive the speed limit and I am constantly tailgated. Some idiots even pass on the right in no passing zones. Nothing would give me greater satisfaction than to see the police nail one of these irresponsible drivers. People need to stop looking at the other cars on the road as obstacles in their way and start seeing them as other people.
I'd like to see tickets
I'd like to see tickets written to cars with very loud stereos
To tickets
The police do write tickets for loud stereos and many other violations. Everyone commenting here just assumes that all tickets are for speeding.
Revenue
Rewarded for increase in revenue!!!!!!!!!
tickets
I've driven for more than four decades with no moving-violation tickets. I don't claim to be a perfect driver, but I try to be careful and don't speed. When people who speed or commit other violations do get tickets, that's okay with me. I wish a police officer had been around today when a driver blew right through the stop sign at Dayton and South 16th and almost hit someone.
Congratulations to Officer Barney and Officer Rozeboom.
where are the cameras?
That's what we need - red light cameras and mobile speed cameras. Think of the revenue the city could get with that!!!
Drive like you were taking the test
I've often wondered what it would be like if everybody in Ames drove like they would if they were taking their driver's license exam test for even one day.
Everyone used their turn signals. Even just for lane changes.
No one exceeded the speed limit.
No one tailgated.
No one changed lanes in the middle of intersections.
No one "swung wide" when making a turn. (i.e. when turning right from a 2-lane street to a 4-lane street, you turn into the RIGHT lane of the 4-lane street. Then, after checking your mirrors and blind spots, and using your left-turn signal, lane-changed into the left lane.)
No one did rolling stops at stop lights/signs. (Never mind blowing right through them.)
No one went straight through an intersection from the (clearly marked) right (or left) turn lane.
No one started rolling through an intersection until the intersection was clear.
No one passed on the right.
No one drove in the left lane when they were going slower than traffic.
Everyone pulled over to the right and stopped when they heard an emergency vehicle siren.
Given the fact that you don't have to take the driving test for license renewals (if you renew in time), I often wonder how many of the drivers in Ames would even be able to pass the driving test on the first try.
I think...........
People should get a ticket if they are speeding
Police need to do a better job at crime solving, and help retrieve stolen items
Should not be rewarded for the amount of tickets they write
Need to spend more time going after real criminals
Police need to follow up when they say they will when it comes to stolen property.
Police should not arrest someone for drinking when they blow under the limit.
Police make mistakes like anyone else.
"real criminals"
Drunk drivers ARE "real criminals." And three big cheers for the police who arrest them.
To real
More than half of vehicular deaths are caused by impaired drivers. Can't say "drunk" anymore because alcohol is not the only substance used. But you are right, they are criminals and their crime is the one most likely to cause harm to you.
to "To real"
You are so right. Years ago a TV news magazine featured a story about a high-priced attorney who specialized in getting obviously-guilty drunk drivers off the hook. The story resulted in a lot of angry mail directed at the attorney. The attorney then plaintively wanted to know why those same people weren't equally angry at attorneys who defend guilty drug dealers. He was refusing to admit the obvious, which is that most people who make good choices don't have to worry about being killed by drug dealers, but anyone can be killed or maimed by a drunk driver.
to real criminals
this has nothing to do with speeding tickets, drunk driving is a whole different thing
speed, alcohol
Drunk driving is certainly different than speeding. However, drunk driving and speeding are both against the law. I've never gotten a speeding ticket in several decades of driving because I don't speed, and I haven't gotten arrested for drunk driving because I don't drink and drive. It's pretty simple, really.
You think?
Read the paper, the police are busting crooks all the time. One recent case in Ames made national news because the police work was so clever. Police arrest those who blow under the limit when they are impaired with other substances or if they are under age.
Yes, police make mistakes and we have a court system to take care of any problems.
to you think
yes, there is a court system who dropped the case because the person shouldn't have been arrested for blowing under, and there certainly were no other drugs involved. However, his court costs with a lawyer was $800 for the wrongful arrest.
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