COLUMBIANA COUNTY Officers form tactical squads, increase patrols

Troopers and deputies patrol in different places and at different times each month.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- Because of an increase in fatal accidents in 2000, Ohio State Highway Patrol Lisbon post troopers and Columbiana County deputy sheriffs have stepped up patrols and formed enforcement tactical squads.
Lt. George C. Williams, post commander, said the squads target concentrated areas one week each month, watching for motorists violating Ohio's mandatory seat-belt law and other traffic violations. These squads consist of troopers, deputy sheriffs and a patrol sergeant.
Tactical-squads' efforts have resulted in a 50-percent reduction in fatal accidents to date during 2001, Williams said.
There has been one fatal accident in the county in 2001, he said. Two motorists died in the first three months of 2000.
There were 12 fatal crashes with 13 people killed in 2000, compared with six deaths in six crashes in 1999, Williams said. Of the 12 motorists who died on Columbiana County highways last year, half were wearing seat belts in crashes where seat belts were available, he said.
Squads' goal: Williams said the tactical squads will work through the remainder of the year trying to prevent accidents and increase the voluntary compliance rate with seat-belt and child-restraint laws.
Tactical squads also work late afternoon, overnight and holiday shifts to watch for motorists driving under the influence of alcohol. During a recent deployment that included St. Patrick's Day, squad members issued seven DUI citations, Williams said.
Other citations: Also during that weeklong effort by the tactical squads, 157 vehicles were stopped with 142 citations issued, Williams said. Of those citations, 52 were for seat-belt violations, 55 for speeding, two for failure to yield and one for not using a child-restraint seat, he said.
Tactical-squad members also issued 79 vehicle defect notifications and 77 warnings for minor infractions, and assisted 23 motorists, he said.
Williams said fatal accidents in Columbiana County over the past several years have occurred at various locations. Of the 12 fatal accidents in 2000, for example, Williams said the only similarity was that two were in the same township.
"There's not a particular intersection or stretch of road we can point to," Williams said.
A Federal Highway Administration report in 2000 ranked Columbiana County motorists last in the state in seat-belt compliance at 54.4 percent.
Williams said he won't know if the status has changed until troopers do another survey later this year.