Tickets drop in Colfax

A report on Colfax Police activities for 2011 shows traffic tickets issued by the police department has dropped more than 46 percent from 10 years ago. Assistant Chief Dave Szambelan, who presented the report to the city council Monday night, said he believes the drop reflects the department’s trend toward responding more to calls for assistance. Time spent responding to calls reduces officer time for traffic patrols, he noted.

Colfax officers in 2011 issued 378 traffic tickets. In 2001 the count was 706. The total has declined for the last three years with 433 tickets in 2009 and 388 in 2010.

Szambelan pointed out another trend was the number of times officers have had to respond to reports of traffic offenses. The tally for 2011 was 119 compared to 115 in each of the previous two years. He said those growing numbers are mostly the result of traffic offenses which are reported via cell phones. Drivers and passengers who observe what they believe to be infractions or possible violations of the law now use cell phones to make reports.

Another change was a marked increase in theft reports with 71 in 2011 compared to 41 the previous year.

Other figures in the report were 71 accident investigations in 2011 compared to 82 in 2010, nine drunken driving arrests compared to 15 in 2010, 23 burglaries compared to 16 in 2010, and 28 driving with suspended license arrests compared to 26 in 2010.