Talking Tickets: A Look at Traffic Enforcement in Harrison

With the ticket-fixing scandal in the Bronx making headlines throughout the region, there has been a lot of extra attention paid to traffic tickets and enforcement.

A Bronx grand jury is expected to indict 17 officers accused of “fixing” traffic and parking tickets over a three-year period, CBS News reports.

As a result, it is possible that procedures for dealing with tickets will be tightened dramatically, with discretion available to Bronx officers to disperse tickets being decreased.

Harrison Police Chief Anthony Marraccini says although those caught breaking the law should obviously be held accountable, the options available for officers on the street should remain open because they are an important part of everyday operations.

“Anyone in public service must operate to the letter of the law and anyone receiving illegal benefits for their services should be aware that they will be caught,” he said. “But I believe that officers should have the ability to disperse tickets at their discretion."

Marraccini went on to explain that discretion is common in all areas of law enforcement and that it plays an important role in cost-containment and efficiency.

"Charges are pled down in criminal and other courts all the time and it is an efficient and cost-effective means of dealing with the current court overflow," he said. "The purpose of issuing a ticket is to get a person to slow down. If a driver doesn’t have a history of traffic infringements and the officer feels they have learned their lesson, I think officers should have the opportunity to disperse it as they see best.”

As in other municipalities, Harrison officers are involved in the traffic-enforcement process from the issuance of the original summons through any ensuing court case.

Once you have been pulled over for a traffic violation, the officer has the discretion whether to ticket you or issue a warning. That decision can depend on everything from the driver’s demeanor to the speed and danger involved.

An officer will also run the pre-trial conference with anyone issued a summons that does not plead guilty and pay the fine. In the event the ticket is not resolved and proceeds to court, the issuing officer will be called to give testimony.

“Issuing tickets is not easy for the officers,” Marraccini said. “We are all aware that it is not only money for the fine but points on the driver’s license and increased insurance costs.”

On the street, officers run into the full gamut of reactions from drivers, ranging from excuses to apologies and even aggression.

“Officers are faced with everything from verbal confrontations to ripping up tickets and throwing them out the window, which can then result in another summons,” he said.

Traffic enforcement is not just a safety issue; it's also big business. Last year in Harrison there were 6,600 traffic summons issued, resulting in $1 million going to the town in revenue.

Although he expects to reach that mark again this year, Marraccini believes this is only the tip of the iceberg of what local traffic enforcement could generate. He says have significantly reduced the amount of money his department could generate for the town.

"If we had appropriate resources I believe that could increase to $4 million in revenue per-year,” Marraccini said.

In the past, radar traps were set up regularly on Westchester Avenue, Park Lane, Lake Street, Harrison Avenue and in school zones. While Marraccini says the current staffing levels make patrolling all of these locations at once impossible, all officers are still expected to show their commitment to traffic enforcement.

“We do not have quotas—I don’t feel its proper, “ Marraccini said. “But zeros are not accepted, minimum effort is not accepted and I expect all our officers to do all aspects of the job and do them well.”

But for now, the police chief said the department relies on whatever resources it can to enforce speeding and other regulations in town. Eight new police cars recently purchased are equipped with radar. The department also has four hand-held radar units that are used by the motorcycle division.

“Even in cars not equipped with radar, officers are certified in estimating speeds and pacing vehicles and can play a valuable role in traffic enforcement and issuing summons,” Marraccini said.

Marraccini said while low staffing levels make traffic enforcement more problematic, police will continue to work to keep Harrison's roads safe.

“The expectation of being caught slows people down," he said. "When we don’t have the traffic division staffed we cannot use preventative radar traps and there is increased danger on our roads, but we are consistently listed on internet sites as being number one or two in enforcement and will do everything we can to keep it that way.”

So, speed in Harrison at your own risk.