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Law Enforcement Challenge
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CLEC Slideshow
Nifty Fifty 2005
California Law Enforcement Challenge
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In Partnership with: California 's law enforcement community must set ambitious goals for traffic safety enforcement and education. Police officers have unprecedented opportunities to prevent a traffic fatality from occurring at the rate of one every two hours, to reduce the number of serious injuries resulting from traffic collisions, and to positively impact the spiraling emergency services and health care costs. The California Law Enforcement Challenge program allows law enforcement agencies to set comprehensive goals, to strive to reach new heights in traffic safety, to share their experiences with others, and to be recognized for their traffic safety accomplishments; in short, to make a difference in the communities their officers serve each day. This competition has no losers - only winners: for saving lives and reducing the frequency and severity of injuries are the true rewards of law enforcement's efforts. What is the California Law Enforcement Challenge? The California Law Enforcement Challenge is a competition between similar sizes and types of law enforcement agencies. It recognizes and rewards the best overall traffic safety programs in California . The areas of concentration include efforts to enforce laws and educate the public about occupant protection, impaired driving, and speeding. Agencies submit an application (usually in a three ring or presentation binder) which documents their efforts and effectiveness in these areas. The winning safety programs are those that combine officer training, public information and enforcement to reduce crashes and injuries within its jurisdiction. Why do OTS and the CHP do this? The National Law Enforcement Challenge program, the model for the California Law Enforcement Challenge, is financed through a grant awarded to the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). IACP & NHTSA believe an increase in traffic enforcement in a community results in a decrease in motor vehicle crashes, injuries, and fatalities and they have the studies to prove it! In fact, no single other program or strategy works as well as law enforcement in making the roads safer. This program complements all the other training and public information programs that NHTSA does to promote traffic safety. The IACP believes one of the best ways to promote, build, and increase participation in the national program is to establish state Challenge programs, like the California Law Enforcement Challenge. This way a state can conduct its own program and then forward the applications to IACP to include in the national competition. In California , the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) awards a grant to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) which allows for the administration of the program. There are currently ten states that have compatible state programs. What's in it for your agency? The competition is a friendly way for law enforcement agencies to increase their attention to traffic safety. It provides opportunities for public recognition of exemplary programs (e.g., Nifty Fifty), incentive for continuing traffic safety activities, and documentation of agency effectiveness that can be used in future grant proposals. Every agency does some traffic safety programs, so participation does not require extra commitment on anyone's part. Merely documenting current activity has produced many winners. This documentation can help provide accountability and prove the value of a strong traffic program. Being the winner brings a great deal of positive attention to a department, benefits at budget time and enhances an agency's reputation as a department which is "tough on crime" yet prioritizes traffic safety. Forwarding a complete submission to the CHP's Special Projects Section is all it takes for an agency to be entered in both the California Law Enforcement Challenge and the National Law Enforcement Challenge. How are the Applications judged? A panel of traffic safety experts from across the country will review each application and assign points based on the criteria. After the judging, the scores are averaged and a final score is assigned. After all of the applications are scored, the agencies are ranked in their categories. A minimum of 50 points MUST be earned to receive an award. There may be categories where no awards will be presented due to either a lack of entries or not enough agencies achieving a minimum score. All judges are independent members of the law enforcement community, public safety, and corporate partners who have demonstrated advance knowledge of highway safety initiatives. The top three winners in each category will receive awards for their 2007 highway-safety efforts at an awards ceremony and traffic safety conference to be held in 2008. THE CATEGORIES
SPECIAL AWARD CATEGORIES First Time Entry: (National Challenge Only) The Rookie of the Year award will be presented to an agency that is entering the National Law Enforcement Challenge for the very first time. All entries, regardless of category, will be considered. Child Passenger Safety: Agencies will be judged on their efforts to promote and enforce child passenger safety restraint laws in their communities. Occupant Protection: Agencies will be judged for this special award based on their notable efforts to promote and enforce occupant protection laws. Impaired Driving Awareness: Agencies will be judged for this special award based on their notable efforts to detect and apprehend impaired drivers. Speed Awareness: Agencies will be judged for this special award on their notable efforts to address the problem of speeding. Underage Alcohol Prevention: Agencies will be judged for this special award based on their notable efforts to address the problem of underage drinking and impaired driving by those under the legal drinking age. Commissioner's Overall Excellence in Traffic Safety Award: This special award will be presented annually to the law enforcement agency with the most comprehensive traffic safety program. All agencies entered in the 2007 California Law Enforcement Challenge will be considered for this award. Technology Award (National Challenge only): Agencies will be judged for this special award based on their notable efforts to address traffic safety concerns using new and/or innovative technology, such as crash data collection, cameras, speed indicator trailers, total station crash investigation, etc. Bicycle/Pedestrian : This award recognizes notable and innovative efforts in addressing the problem of bicycle and/or pedestrian safety. Commercial Vehicle : (National Challenge Only) This award recognizes notable and innovative efforts in addressing the problem of commercial vehicles and the overall safety and the traffic laws associated with the safe commercial vehicle movement. IACP National Law Enforcement Challenge: All state entries will be automatically sent to the IACP for consideration in the National Law Enforcement Challenge Program. Motorcycle Safety Award: Applicants will be judged on their efforts to promote and enforce motorcycle safety in their community. Submit all applications by March 28, 2008 to: California Law Enforcement Challenge For more information, contact:
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