‘A cultural change’

Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2009 | 3:23 p.m.

Sheriff Doug Gillespie announced his department’s new driving policy last week, coming less than a month after a Metro officer died in a crash. The department has had three officers die in on-duty crashes in six months.

Gillespie said the regulations have been modified, but the real issue goes deeper than policy. The department, he said, needs “a cultural change” when it comes to driving. He noted that the old policy, like the new, required officers to wear seat belts in most situations. Yet in fatal crashes in May and October, officers were driving at high speeds without their seat belts on.

“We realize as an organization that this is a real problem,” Gillespie said. “What we’re truly talking about here at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is a cultural change in our driving habits.”

The policy states the department “must lead by example,” and that is important. People watch what police do, and officers driving without seat belts at high speeds only serve to undercut the department’s credibility when citizens are ticketed for doing the same.

Police say the speed they drive is related to their work — they are trying to respond to calls quickly. That is honorable, but speed is not always related to a call. And it certainly isn’t always safe. In the October crash, the officer was driving 71 mph in a 45 mph zone for what was described as a nonurgent call. Investigators say the officer overcorrected when a car turned in front of him.

The new policy puts a cap on speed of no more than 20 mph above the posted speed limit unless an officer is in a pursuit. That should give police the ability to respond quickly and safely.

Safety is crucial. Police, by the nature of their jobs, can be the most distracted drivers on the road. Patrol vehicles are equipped with radios and computers, and officers carry cell phones. All the while, they are driving, responding to calls and trying to pay attention to their surroundings.

Metro officials note that despite the three fatal crashes, the number of crashes has dropped in the past few years, as has the rate of crashes per miles driven.

That is good. We hope the new policy further reduces the number of accidents and provides more protection for officers and the public.