Traffic Complaint Hotlines
A traffic complaint hotline allows community members to report traffic problems directly to police. It is used to identify the worst traffic problem areas and the most frequent traffic complaints. Police follow up with enforcement in the identified area and schedule additional enforcement if needed.
Tool: Traffic complaint hotline
Definition
Community members report traffic problems to police.
Advantages
- Enables police to quickly identify issues.
- Enables public to be engaged.
Putting It Into Practice: Traffic Complaint Hotline
Phoenix, AZ
The City of Phoenix, Arizona operates a traffic complain hotline in which a police sergeant monitors all of the complaints and assigns enforcement areas to other motor officers based on calls to complaint center. If the hotline caller leaves his or her name and phone number, an officer returns the call with enforcement results, including when the enforcement was conducted and for how long. Officers also report how many warnings, moving violations and non-moving violations were issued during the enforcement effort. When officers observe a high number of violations, they schedule additional enforcement. The City of Phoenix reports that school traffic concerns account for approximately 80 percent of the traffic complaints and requests for enforcement on the hotline. The hotline created a stronger link between police officials and the community at large as residents saw their complaints were addressed.