New CHP Chief Urges Plan to Avert Tragedy

Maurice J. Hannigan, the new commissioner of the California Highway Patrol, warned Friday of traffic congestion and public safety problems beyond “our wildest imagination” in the 1990s unless plans are made to avoid them.

Hannigan, 48, issued the warning to several hundred CHP officers and civilian employees shortly after being sworn in as commissioner of the 8,600-member organization. He succeeds James E. Smith, who retired last month.

Hannigan, a CHP officer for 25 years who was Smith’s deputy for the last five, said California’s expected swift growth during the coming decade is among the challenges facing the patrol.

“That growth will bring traffic congestion and public safety problems beyond our wildest imagination, unless we plan and prepare for it now,” Hannigan said.

He said enforcing the law and educating Californians in the areas of “drunk driving, speed violations and seat belt usage must remain our highest priorities if we are to significantly reduce the needless tragedy upon our highways.”

“We must rigidly control the transportation of hazardous materials upon our highways, overcome urban congestion by working with Caltrans (California Department of Transportation) and local agencies . . . (and) build upon our cooperation with allied law enforcement agencies to stem the flow of illicit drugs and other crimes throughout our state,” Hannigan said.

Hannigan, assigned briefly to Los Angeles as a rookie officer in 1965, became the sixth consecutive up-from-the-ranks patrolman to be appointed commissioner of the CHP.