You might notice that a couple of those calls had been holding for nearly an hour at that point. These are the pending incidents: the already-dispatched incidents spilled over onto an additional two full screens. By the end of the day, LPD officers had handled 433 incidents, including 123 traffic crashes. The evening rush—one of our two daily peaks—was really a joy. The paperwork that follows each of those crashes would be similar to preparing a Federal 1040 in length and complexity.
23 comments:
I was listening to the scanner yesterday, and between the snow and the East Campus incident, LPD was really strapped down.
Interestingly, as I listened it seemed that north Lincoln saw the increase in accident related calls first.
I don't think, that after the snow started, that there was ever an idle moment in dispatch and silence on the radio.
Be interesting if those could be posted real time.
Indeed, your Officers deserve an "Awesome Job." What upsets me is looking at my morning crime mapping reports and seeing reports like this one--Sisters fighting and arguing, scratching each other. C"MON PARENTS step up!! These Lincoln Police Officers are busting their Butts going from call to call and then paperwork with follow up. Other than being parents to their own kids, they shouldn't have to do your work also!
I don't get why people leave their cars in the way of traffic on busy roads for mere fender benders. It's like they are waiting for CSI to show up for their case. If your car runs, get it pulled off the street.
Chief-Brings back memories of frozen BIC pens and trying to keep all the info written.
Just curious. Is there a snow emergency ordinance in Lincoln? Down here, when a snow emergency is declared, the Police only respond to accidents where there is an injury, major damage, or alcohol involved. All others exchange names and insurance cards and go down the road.
256
"Down here, when a snow emergency is declared, the Police only respond to accidents where there is an injury, major damage, or alcohol involved. All others exchange names and insurance cards and go down the road."
Which city is that?
Perhaps your Duty Commander should have utilized their authority to only respond to injury accidents. It is senseless to risk the safety of everyone, including your officers, to fill out an accident report for insurance companies.
No doubt! Kudos to the officers' & dispatchers' hard work on a relentless day!
Why doesn't LPD suspend taking reports for minor accidents during snow emergencies? OPD Does it...
Sometimes it takes a while to get help.
Why is it that LPD doesn't have people just exchange names and insurance on non injury accidents on days like this one? Seems every other metro area does this. Why make people wait over an hour for real police services?
Thanks, LPD, LSO, LFR, and ALL the Emergency employees that help us in ALL the types of nasty weather we get. You are SOOOOOO appreciated! We would be lost without you.
Hard to imagine 123 accidents when everyone I saw driving was doing about 5-10 mph (or was stuck).
What's the general consensus among patrol officers regarding the Goodyear Eagle LS tire on a RWD car in icy/snowy conditions?
11:23 I live in a different state south of Nebraska, but based on the comments of others, OPD and other metro areas suspend accident coverage in certain circumstances as well. My question was if Lincoln could do it.
I travel a lot and have seen it in effect in other areas as well. If 100 of the accidents in Lincoln were minor low-speed fender-benders on that day, maybe the officers could more efficiently cover the other 300 calls for service if they weren't spending time writing accident reports.
Just curious, although I think LPD has always covered every call that comes in, so kudos to the officers.
256
ARRRRG-That's TOOO funny!
256,
I was asking the specific city, because I was going to link to a comparison of the murder, business robbery, and auto theft rates (because those are the most accurate, reported vs actual) between Lincoln and these other cities. The Chief knows why I was going to do that, I think.
Here's a good example of why I'd prefer LPD to work non-injury accidents. That one was just yesterday at about 2am. If this had been a "exchange information, no cops" incident, maybe the other party would have been too shook up to notice that the at-fault party was DUI (aggravated 4th offense, by the way).
I think they did ask people to just exchange info if the accident was fairly minor and non-injury. I heard this announced over the radio as I sat in traffic.
9:33
Wichita, Ks
256
10:22
I noticed this accident happened at 2AM on 2-27-11. Was that during a major snow storm? (no)Was there more than minor damage? (yes)Was alcohol involved? (Kind of a no-brainer based on time and location).
Our cops would have come to that one no questions asked. But at 2pm with speeds at 5 mph during a blizzard with no reported injuries and damage under $500, and no alcohol involvement, they and you can probably be better served if they go to the other calls for service. At all other times such as no snow emergency, they respond to all accidents.
256
"Was alcohol involved? (Kind of a no-brainer based on time and location)."
Really? I bet it wouldn't be too hard dig up a minor damage, non-injury accident with stone cold sober drivers, at that location.
I also bet it wouldn't be too hard to dig up a minor-damage, daytime snow-storm accident in some other area with at least one drunk driver.
Of course, if I lived in a city with roughly 3.5x Lincoln's murder rate and triple Lincoln's auto theft rate, my view on police responding to so-called minor incidents might be somewhat different.
9:06
Just for the record, I'm not in any way advocating non-response by Police to calls for service of any kind. I merely asked the question "Does Lincoln have a snow emergency ordinance?" So far I haven't gotten a simple yes or no answer.
I think the Chief could statistically prove that in accidents betwween 1am and 3am near Cornhusker Hwy, there is a high probability of alcohol involvement. Interestingly, in the accident used as example, both drivers were drinking.
I'm actually concerned that because of budgetary issues, and reduction of staff size relative to population, which is happening currently in places like Oakland, we all will have less Police services available. I think you are very fortunate to live in a city where that has not yet become an issue.
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