MOUNT DORA, Fla. – After hearing complaints from people about speeding and drivers running stop signs, the Mount Dora Police Department launched its new traffic unit back in June.
Sergeant Elizabeth Krueger runs the new traffic unit and said the purpose of the unit is to focus on problem-areas within Mount Dora and address people’s complaints.
The unit is made up of three officers including Sergeant Krueger, and they work four, 10 hour shifts on the traffic unit.
Since June 10, the unit has conducted 340 traffic stops, provided back up at 189 traffic stops, issued 22 verbal warnings, 186 city citations, 100 traffic citations, made 43 traffic arrests and 10 physical arrests.
Officials said a traffic arrest – also known as a criminal citation – is a method of charging someone with a criminal offense without physically placing them under arrest, while a physical arrest is where a person is physically taken to jail.
Krueger said she was surprised by their numbers.
Krueger said she was surprised by their numbers.
“Yes, because with this unit it allows us to focus specifically on those problem areas in the city and we get anything from you know your typical traffic stop, from speeding, we also get guns and drugs,” Krueger said.
Officer Colin Hardee said he didn’t realize how urgent the need was for a traffic unit within the department until he joined the unit. He said their goal is to educate drivers.
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“We have a lot of violations, especially in the main part of downtown and that’s pretty bad considering we have a ton of foot traffic,” Hardee said.
Officer Kyle Morrison serves on the traffic unit and made an arrest earlier this month after spotting a tinted cover on a license plate.
Morrison said the driver had a suspended license along with unpaid traffic fines. He said when they arrested the driver with probable cause, they searched the driver’s car and found a gun, a drum magazine, other magazines and around 13 grams of marijuana.
“You never know what you’re going to come into contact with a vehicle because it’s essentially somebody else’s home,” Morrison said. “You never know what they have in that vehicle so you always have to be conscious of what you’re dealing with out on the road.”
Sergeant Krueger said the traffic unit could expand after seeing the numbers they’ve done within the first month.
“Our city is growing tremendously,” Krueger said. “Instead of having two officers, I think we need to have three or more. The amount of calls that we’re getting for the complaints is just it’s almost too much because we’re constantly addressing multiple different areas within the city.”
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