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Published on Wednesday, December 31, 2003
in the Tampa Tribune
They said it would happen, and then scratched their heads when things got worse.
After much hand-wringing, a Florida Highway Patrol experiment of adding 14 troopers appears to be paying off in the form of saved lives in Pasco County. News that to date 16 fewer people than last year have died in Pasco in traffic-related crashes was heralded by highway patrol officials. Those officials were left without answers this fall when asked by The Tampa Tribune why traffic deaths actually increased during a pilot program created to reduce fatalities.
``That Pasco project may just be coming around,'' said Lt. Sterling King. ``It probably took a little longer than they anticipated, but it looks like it's definitely paying off.''
There's more at work in Pasco's success than just the addition of troopers, King said. A new captain at the helm is being given much of the credit. Capt. Greg LaMont had been in the top job in Pasco just a few weeks when the pilot program ended and he was less than pleased with the results.
Since then, King said, LaMont has stepped up efforts to combat what is considered a leading contributor to high traffic deaths numbers: pedestrians on U.S. 19.
``He's one of the biggest reasons I would say,'' King said of LaMont. ``I see the monthly activity reports. I've seen some tremendous activity, some special enforcement efforts especially on U.S. 19 trying to concentrate on the pedestrian problem. I know his DUI arrests have skyrocketed. Speeding tickets and everything have gone up.''
Creating the pilot program that added troopers was an unprecedented move for the highway patrol, and officials knew the outcome could determine whether other counties would benefit from increased staffing. That seemed uncertain after the pilot program's first year, from June 30, 2002, to July 1, 2003, when statistics show 81 people died, compared with 72 in the same period a year earlier.
However, that didn't stop patrol officials from planning to expand to another county.
``We do believe it did show some positive results. You can't expect to see an overnight change,'' spokesman Chief Jim Howell said then.
No site has been chosen for the next pilot program, King said. Howell said previously that Hillsborough County, with 199 deaths this year, could be a contender.
As of Sunday, three people had died in Pasco in December. The year's total stood at 74 lives lost; at this time last year, 90 people had been killed.
Whether the trend toward declining deaths will continue into the new year is anyone's guess, King said.
``We hope it will continue to decrease, and we'll do our best to make that happen,'' he said.
Troopers, Pasco sheriff's deputies and city police will hit the roads today to do their part, and they are counting on drivers to do the same.