Officers Are Responsible in Most Collisions
Police and sheriff’s deputies in San Diego County were at fault in more than half of all traffic collisions involving officers in recent years, a newspaper reported.
Most of the crashes were minor, but local law enforcement agencies have spent $10 million to settle claims resulting from the collisions, records show.
The Sheriff’s Department was to blame in 56% of the 626 crashes since 1997. The San Diego Police Department was found responsible for 58% of 1,672 collisions since 1996, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
Smaller departments have even higher at-fault rates. Officers in National City were found to blame for 81% of the 68 crashes since 1997. Police say they aren’t surprised. They point out that officers are required to listen to radio traffic, look for unusual activity, monitor portable computers and run license plate checks--all in addition to driving.
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