ORLANDO, Fla. – News 6 traffic safety expert Trooper Steve Montiero answers viewer questions and shares tips about the rules of the road, helping Central Florida residents become better drivers by being better educated.
Trooper Steve on Monday was asked, “Where do all the extra police patrols come from during the holidays?”
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Trooper Steve said it’s not just holiday magic.
He said police agencies, like any other company, include human resources, payroll, administration, engineering and recruiting departments, to name a few.
“Within a police department, you have the exact same things, except these employees are also police officers,” Trooper Steve said. “You also have a command staff within an agency that have management responsibilities that would not include normal patrol type operations.”
So when holiday seasons and peak traffic periods, like spring break, come along, these employees augment the patrol units and take on a supporting role, he explained.
“These patrol units are not replaced by these administrative units, but assisted by them,” Trooper Steve said. “This, at times, could put several extra units in an area, leading to you maybe thinking, ‘Why am I seeing so many police on the roads?’ It is not uncommon during these times to see an increase in unmarked police vehicles or even seeing the extra shiny brass (command) from an agency out and about.”