Hialeah, Florida, is giving a seized car a job in its new campaign against aggressive driving. Under the city’s plan, the vehicle will be reserved for community events and traffic safety education.
Mayor Bryan Calvo and Police Chief George Fuente announced the Aggressive Driving Unit on October 20. Its four officers and one sergeant will concentrate on traffic enforcement, including identifying aggressive drivers and addressing impaired driving.
The car assigned to outreach is a Chevrolet Corvette seized during a criminal investigation, Commander Patricia Salgado told the Miami Herald. Police plan to display it at community gatherings, including activities in city parks.
Calvo said the initiative had been in development for months. He framed it around residents’ everyday trips to work and school, and the risks dangerous drivers pose to people walking through their neighborhoods.
On the Clock
Regular patrol officers must also answer calls and handle other duties, Salgado explained in that interview. A dedicated traffic team gives officers time to concentrate on violations that regular patrol officers might not have time to address.
Residents’ complaints will help direct the team’s work, along with school zones and places where crashes and fatalities have occurred. Speeding generates frequent complaints, with daily violation reports in some areas.
The city wants to change dangerous driving habits before they cause a serious crash. Its education program will also cover responsible driving and the dangers of impaired driving.
“Enforcement is part of it, but education is just as important. Our goal is to prevent crashes and get people home safely,” Fuente said.
Officers assigned to enforcement will use five regular patrol vehicles. Salgado said grants helped pay for those vehicles, while the Corvette was not purchased with that funding. She could not confirm the total funding amount.