Speed Enforcement & DUI Patrols
Our
Sheriff’s Office is among the most well-equipped and progressive in the
State of Vermont when it comes to speed enforcement and the enforcement
of motor vehicle laws in general. Most of our cruisers are
equipped with moving Doppler radar units and we have laser units (LIDAR)
as well. Doppler police radar is a reliable and effective means of
ascertaining vehicle velocity, but sometimes our Deputies chose to use
laser, which is more well-suited for heavy traffic conditions.
Traffic laser measures a vehicle’s velocity using a beam of light, which
measures speed and tells the Deputy how far away the vehicle is when it
is targeted, down to 1/10th of a foot. Laser is very fast
and so-called “Laser Detectors” are rarely effective, except to let the
violator know that he or she has been caught speeding.
We
also make extensive use of unmarked vehicles and “pacing” a violator
from behind to enforce the speed laws in
Chittenden County. Violators who are traveling more than 30 miles per
hour above the posted speed limit are generally arrested and given a
criminal court citation under the state law governing Excessive Speed.
In addition, they may face a speeding ticket in addition to
the criminal charge, as Vermont Civil Violation Complaints, also known
as traffic tickets, are handled by the Vermont Judicial Bureau.
The criminal charge for Excessive Speed is handled in Vermont District
Court and conviction for this offense means a criminal misdemeanor
conviction.
Our
Deputies are required to attend contested Judicial Bureau
hearings when they issue speeding tickets or other motor vehicle
tickets. Many motorists who contest their tickets, hoping that the
Deputy will not show up, are disappointed. If you receive a traffic
ticket from a Chittenden County Sheriff’s Deputy and have questions
about the ticket that were not answered at the time you were stopped, we
encourage you to contact our office or the Deputy who issued you the
ticket. We have found over the years that many people who contest
tickets at Traffic Court often do so because they have a question for
the Hearing Officer that could have readily been answered by the Deputy.
There are many myths and urban legends floating around out there about
motor vehicle laws; how radar works; how to “beat” tickets and the like.
Everyone is entitled to their day in court, and we encourage that if
there is a legitimate disagreement about the offense. But if you
simply have a question about your ticket, please contact us and ask for
the Deputy who ticketed you, or a Supervisor. If we can save both
you and us a trip to Traffic Court, simply because a question did
not get answered to your satisfaction, we are happy to speak with you.
Chittenden County Sheriff’s Deputies have full arrest powers statewide
and we make several dozen DUI arrests per
year in Chittenden County. We receive special grant funding for
targeted DUI enforcement through the Vermont Governor’s Highway Safety
Program and we have a high rate of success in detecting and apprehending
impaired drivers. We patrol the highways during these patrols in
both marked and unmarked cruisers and in the winter, we patrol the
Statewide Snowmobile Trail System (SSTS) using funding from the Vermont
Association of Snow Travelers (VAST). Deputies on snowmobiles are
equipped with Alco-Sensors and we frequently set up sobriety check
points along the snowmobile trail system, during both daylight and
evening hours.
Our
Office has won awards for our enforcement efforts, including placing 1st
in the 2006 National Chief’s Challenge among Sheriff’s Offices of our
size category in all 50 states. In 2008, we placed 1st
among Sheriff’s Offices in Vermont in the Chief’s Challenge. Our
Deputies have also received recognition for their excellent work in seat
belt enforcement and occupant protection education and enforcement,
particularly with children. The Chittenden County Sheriff’s Office
has a ZERO TOLERANCE policy for children not wearing seatbelts
and all drivers are ticketed for this infraction without warning.
Many DUI arrests are the result of stops for unrelated traffic violations. We encourage everyone to please drink responsibly and use alcohol education and designated drivers to avoid situations where you are driving while impaired by alcohol. In addition to the fines imposed, driver’s lose their privilege to drive in Vermont and other states for a minimum of 90 days for the first offense. Insurance rates often rise dramatically after a conviction for DUI. With court costs and mandatory alcohol counseling, the financial cost of a single DUI arrest can easily top $3,000 or more.
Like the blue sign says….. “YOU CAN’T AFFORD IT”
If you have any motor vehicle enforcement question, you may call and speak with any Chittenden County Sheriff’s Deputy, or e-mail Sergeant Scott Costella at costella@dps.state.vt.us
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Chittenden County Sheriff's Department. All rights reserved.
Last Update 01/17/2011