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New program urges police officers to wear seat belts
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GARY THOMPSON/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie announces a safety campaign Friday intended to get officers to buckle up. The campaign features stickers affixed to the patrol cars encouraging seat-belt use. Gillespie was joined by Vanessa Maniago of R&R Partners, which put the campaign together. » Buy this photo
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LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Accidents involving Las Vegas police were down 14 percent in the first half of this year over last year, while speed-related accidents were down 68 percent, Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie said Friday.
The sheriff, speaking at a news conference to announce a new campaign to persuade officers to wear their seat belts, said those statistics come despite a 12 percent increase in miles driven by his officers.
"Our officers are driving more cautiously," Gillespie said.
The impetus for that cautious driving was the deaths last year of three officers in crashes, two of them involving speeding and no seat belts.
Officer James Manor died in May 2009 when his police car crashed into a pickup truck that had turned into his path. Manor was driving 109 mph in a 45 mph zone on his way to a domestic violence call. He was not wearing a seat belt.
Officer Milburn "Millie" Beitel died in October when he lost control of his police car and crashed into a tree and a pole. He was driving 71 mph in a 45 mph zone and was not wearing a seat belt.
Corrections officer Daniel Leach died in November when he struck the trailer of a dump truck on U.S. Highway 95. Leach was wearing a seat belt and going between 67 and 73 mph in a 65-mph zone.
The sheriff announced policy changes in December that included mandatory seat belt use, rules forbidding officers to drive more than 20 mph over posted speed limits in most circumstances, and more training.
On Friday, he announced new stickers, posters and a training video that all officers will have to watch.
The stickers, which say "Belt Up. Safe driving ... it's up to you," have been pasted to all patrol cars above the outside door handles and on the dash boards. Posters bearing similar messages will be hung in the department's briefing rooms.
The video features officers who have been involved in on-duty crashes and who say seat belts saved their lives. It emphasizes family connections that officers would miss if they were to die in a crash.
The campaign was developed for free by R&R Partners, the local advertising agency. Agency representative Vanessa Maniago joined Gillespie at Friday's news conference.
She said a survey of officers revealed that family members were the strongest influence in their lives. Using that influence is what the campaign is designed to do.
Gillespie said the campaign is part of an overall strategy to change departmental culture. He noted that traffic crashes kill more officers every year nationally than gunshots do.
"The goal is to keep our men and women safe so they go home at the end of their shifts," he said.
Contact reporter Richard Lake at rlake@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0307.
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I am sorry, but if you have to tell your Officers to follow the law and wear seatbelts, then they are to stupid to be cops in the first place. Then, you give them guns and expect them to make sound decisions? The "MORE COPS" inititave has cost us citizens much more the a 1/4% sales tax increase. The police department has given up quality for quantity when selecting these new officers. I don't feel safe anymore.
That's bullcrap they need seatbelt laws. They need safety laws, they need every kind of law that keep people healthy and well. What if you lost you freakin wife because told her how stupid seatbelts were.
Seriously, it's annoying, the cops today dominated the road today, they covered the brutal areas tonight. It's nice to feel safe for a change.
Doughnuts make you fat and some cant fit in seatbelts anymore.
The police know something all of you do not...seatbelt laws are unconstitutional. They don't wear them because they don't have to. In 6 years of law enforcement, I have seen just as many people killed WEARING seatbelts as I have Not wearing them. Seatbelts CAN save lives, but they can KILL YOU just as quickly.
Cowboys don't wear seat-belts! It's the law that motorist must wear seat-belts, why is it an option for the police? Doesn't the police leadership have the moral or legal authority to order the police to use the belts? Or, maybe the top man is just not in control anymore! It's time for a change in police leadership.
its the law to wear your seatbelt...... how can those that are responsible for ensuring that we abide by the laws not be following the same laws? why are we wasting taxpayer money on this 'program'? how about we give out tickets to police officers not wearing their seatbelts???
autodefay I AGREE WITH YOU 100%---
Shooting a guy 9 times for carrying a legally licensed concealed weapon, and sitting at home, with pay, waiting for the inquest, and knowing quite well that this shooting was as bad as it gets is no picnic at the beach.
Get on you knees Gillespie and beg your officers to buckle up on their way to Costco.
While your down there say a little prayer for the West Point graduate that your boys assassinated.
They don't wear seat belts. They drive 109 MPH in a 45 MPH zone wantonly endangering EVERYONE but by golly, none of them are ever guilty of inappropriately shooting people. We know this because the coroner's inquest has never ruled otherwise.
New program urges police officers to wear seat belts
"Urges?" If it is a State Law, that Cops are giving tickets to drivers for, then, any Cop NOT using seat belts should be immediately fired. Any Cop in an accident, and NOT wearing a seat belt should be fired. Gillespi should be fired NOW, for babying, and covering-up for his employees who are entrusted to uphold the law. Those same Laws pertain to Cops too Gillespi. Nevada needs a REAL Sheriff with balls, like the Maricopa Arizona Sheriff. Gillespi isn't fit to shine THAT Sheriff's boots.
Police Officers should not have to wear seat belts. They may need to get out of the car fast. (Of course, no one should have to wear seat belts. It is nothing but Nanny State.)