According to a recent statistical report on statewide traffic enforcement, during a 12-month period, Newtown police had the highest “rate” of motor vehicle stops of any municipal police department in the state.

The study found that Newtown police made 452 motor vehicle stops for every 1,000 town residents who are age 16 and over.

That information was part of a traffic enforcement study produced by the Institute For Municipal and Regional Policy. The state hired that firm to analyze traffic enforcement data submitted by state police, municipal police, and university police to learn the extent of racial profiling by police in making motor vehicle stops. The study also contained much other traffic information.

About one-half of the Newtown motor vehicle stops were speed-related.

Newtown police made more than 9,400 motor vehicle stops during the 12-month period. The population in Newtown that was age 16 and over at that time was almost 20,800.

According to the statistics, of those 9,400 motorists stopped in Newtown, 2 percent received misdemeanor summonses, 25 percent got infractions, 46 percent received written warnings, and 26 percent got verbal warnings.

Other towns in this area with high motor vehicle stop rates by municipal police are Ridgefield and Redding, with stop rates of 407 and 365, respectively.

Shelton police had the lowest stop rate among municipal police departments in the state, with a rate of 19.

Asked to comment on Newtown police’s high motor vehicle stop rate, Police Chief Michael Kehoe said the report produced “a wealth of data” about traffic enforcement.

Town police use discretion when making motor vehicle stops, he said. Such stops occur due to motor vehicle violations, he noted. 

Town police make many motor vehicle stops because residents want them to do so, Chief Kehoe said.

“Our officers are doing a great job,” he said.

Complaints from residents received by police often focus on speeding, crosswalk violations, distracted driving, and drunken driving, he said.

At a Police Commission session earlier this month, Chief Kehoe told commission members that the most frequent type of complaint that police receive concerns residents feeling unsafe while traveling on roadways due to speeding and distracted drivers.

Sergeant’s View

Administrative Sergeant Aaron Bahamonde, who heads the police department’s traffic unit, said, “The citizens here have made it very clear to the Newtown Police Department that while they feel safe in their homes, they feel less safe when they travel.”

Residents have told the Police Commission of those fears many times, resulting in the police increasing the number of motor vehicle stops that they make for traffic violations, he said.

The intent of such enforcement is to reduce motor vehicle accidents, he said.

Speeding is the prime cause of motor vehicle accidents, Sgt Bahamonde said. Speeding results in motorists losing control of vehicles and getting involved in collisions, he said.

Consequently, police keep a close watch for speeding violations, he said. Also, police pay special attention to distracted driving, he said.

Police also look for automotive equipment violations such as defective head lamps, tail lamps, and brake lamps, he said.

To remind motorists of the need to obey the speed limit, police have electronic speed displays which they post to inform drivers of their travel speeds, compared to the posted speed limit, the sergeant said.

Positioning those devices is done in response to particular speeding complaints, he said.

Recently, police have been focusing their speed enforcement along Pearl Street, Hawleyville Road, and Riverside Road, he said. “We’re listening to the residents … Traffic safety is a primary concern in this town,” Sgt Bahamonde said.