Following its inheritance of traffic investigations on
all 800 miles of its county roads, the Mason County Sheriff’s Office has
responded by establishing a traffic unit.
Led by Sgt. Brad Mandeville (whose brother Cam is a lieutenant with the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, by the way), the 6-man unit is capable of conducting all crash investigations, as well as provide an enforcement presence in the mostly rural county, where open roads and high speeds can have deadly consequences.
The sheriff’s office says Mason County — which lost help from the Washington State Patro in conducting investigations on county roads in July — had the fourth highest rate of drunken driving fatality crashes per capita between 1993 and 2003.
Here’s more on the topic from the sheriff’s office:
In 2006, there were 1,035 collisions in all of Mason County. There were 15 fatalities with 5 of those fatalities occurring on County Roads. 307 of those collisions occurred on County Roads.
According to unit supervisor, Sergeant Brad Mandeville, “We are already making a difference. Total traffic citations have increased this year to 662 from 480 for the same time last year and the total number of violator contacts have increased from 1230 to 1568 so far this year. Our increased activity will certainly result in safer county roads.”
The new traffic squad will also be tapping into the high-tech “e-ticket” system, in which they’ll be able to electronically file traffic tickets to the court rather than write them out.
And in addition to their work on the roads, the traffic deputies will keep an eye on sex offenders, making sure they’re living in their registered addresses.
Here’s Mason County Sheriff Casey Salisbury’s thoughts on the new traffic division:
“The formation of the traffic unit is having several positive effects on public safety in Mason County. First, it is allowing us to take a more proactive roll in detecting and apprehending criminals and traffic violators. Bad guys drive cars and we are catching them as they drive. Our efficiency in monitoring registered sex offenders and service of civil process has improved. This in turn allows our patrol deputies to answer calls for service in a more efficient and timely fashion. We expect our traffic fatality rate and drinking driver involved fatality rate will decrease over time.”
I am very happy about this new traffic unit. However, I live at mile post No. 7 on Grapeview Loop Rd in Allyn and we have speeders each and every day. I have called the Sheriff’s office many times to report this activity with no apparent results. I have borrowed the portable radar machine. It made no difference. The speed limit on this road is 40 but everyone travels 50 plus. We have had at least ten wrecks on the 30 mph curve that imeadiately precedes mile post No. 7 I wish that these guys would spend a few hours a week during the hours with the most traffic. 0500 to 0800 hrs and 1500 to 1900 hrs. If you guys read this, here is some work for you, thanks for all you do.
Steve Rose
360-731-7446