Police Blotter: Three Traffic Stops Lead to 45 Citations

While a large number of traffic stops, citations and arrests are nothing new for , a few new trends have emerged now that we're nearly into summer.

34 arrests were made in Golden Valley between June 6 and June 12.  Of those, 26 were adults and 21 of the 26 were the result of traffic stops.  From driving with suspended licenses to driving under the influence, these are typical arrests for the city.  And as with most weeks, the majority of those arrested live somewhere else.  Only 6 of the 26 adults arrested actually live in Golden Valley.

But one detail that stands out in the city's arrest report is the number of citations given to only three people.  Police wrote a total of 45 citations after stopping only three people driving commercial vehicles.

One driver was issued 18 citations alone after police stopped him to inspect his vehicle.  He was cited for driving an unsafe vehicle, not having his vehicle equipped with a fire extinguisher, not having the appropriate breaking system, no proof of insurance, not having his load protected from shifting or falling and 13 other violations.

Two other drivers were pulled over for inspection and given multiple citations as well.  Police would not provide details on which companies the vehicles belonged to, but they say they are helping county and state police by stopping and inspecting commercial vehicles.

"To be totally honest, it's rare to stop a commercial vehicle, do an inspection and not end up with more than one violation," says Joanne Paul, spokesperson and crime analyst for the Golden Valley Police Department. 

After reading last week's arrest reports, a handful of Patch readers wondered if they needed to be concerned about an inspection if they're pulling a trailer or heading to the lake with a boat in tow.  Joanne Paul provided this explanation:

"Generally, people who tow trailers and or boats are not subject to the same commercial vehicle inspection, unless it is over 3000 pounds, they are then required to have working brakes and a breakaway system (that is a State Statute).  These are not commercial vehicles, but people who tow any kind of equipment should ensure that their equipment is in good working order.
 
The definition of a commercial vehicle is:  a vehicle or combination of vehicles over 10,000 pounds used for the furtherance of a business."

Another trend that's evident looking at the incident and arrest reports (see attached PDFs), more young people are being arrested now that school is out.

"You can tell it's summertime, can't you?" Paul says.

Of the 34 people arrested (26 adults, 8 juveniles), 21 arrests were traffic-related, one was a domestic disturbance.  Police say the other 12 arrests can be attributed to the school year ending and a warm summer beginning.

Citations given to the 8 junviles last week ranged from underage drinking to curfew violations to being in a park after hours.

"It might seem pretty harmless, but we've got to be proactive," Paul says.  "A lot of our parks don't have proper lighting and can be dangerous when it's dark.  Some of these happen near Theodore Wirth, where we know some areas don't attract the most well-intentioned people."

Paul says you're encouraged to give police a call if you see anyone using the parks after 10 p.m. or simply making a lot of noise after 10 p.m.

Whether it's stopping commercial vehicles for being unsafe or arresting people for being in a park too late, the reasoning for the arrests is pretty much the same.

"It's better that we keep anything dangerous from happening," Paul says.  "And that's why we do these patrols and give out these kinds of citations."