Colonel
Paul McClellanIn October 2003, the Ohio State Highway Patrol adopted the goal of obtaining a fatality rate of one per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in the state of Ohio by the end of 2007.
This goal is a strategy that is being developed nationally with the United States Department of Transportation to effectively address the changes in highway safety. Ohio continues to be a major player in the national picture of changing highway safety in the entire country.
Now as we begin 2006, our troopers and professional staff are paving the way for our sustained success. We are making a difference by focusing on problems that need addressed and finding solutions. Our troopers are taking more time during traffic stops and looking closer for key indicators of criminal behavior. In that regard, 2005 was a record year for our criminal patrol and auto larceny efforts. By taking time to look beyond the traffic stop, our troopers are taking illegal drugs off the road before they make their way into communities across the country.
The Patrol’s Jackson District provides just one example of outstanding criminal patrol efforts throughout the state in 2005. They led the state in the number of criminal patrol felony case investigations. Troopers conducted several special operations in the area to combat the narcotics manufacturing, sale, and distribution. Their focus on marijuana eradication led to the seizure of over 13,385 plants at a value of over $13.3 million and Jackson District troopers also conducted three special enforcement efforts in the Lucasville area.
The fundamentals of the criminal patrol program tie directly into the Patrol’s strategic goal to reduce fatalities through education, enforcement, and evaluation. Our efforts are impacting the criminal element by disrupting illegal business activities through the interdiction of the drugs, as well as by removing impaired drivers who use drugs from Ohio roadways.
Additionally, professional traffic enforcement is a direct contributor to the success of our homeland security responsibilities. Troopers are on the front lines in the war on terrorism through our focus on traffic safety, we are securing our transportation systems and critical infrastructures. Through these efforts, the Patrol has established themselves as an international leader.
This fact was recognized in early November 2005 when the Patrol helped coordinate the two-day Counter-Terrorism and Suicide Bomber Symposium. This event featured counter-terrorism experts from the Israeli National Police and other security agencies, who have extensive experience in dealing with suicide bombings and other acts of terrorism. New York and Columbus were the only United States venues selected for this presentation.
The success of the Patrol’s strategic goal not only lies in the collective efforts of troopers across the state, but also with the citizens who travel the roadways.
Motorists can assist by choosing to be committed to traffic safety by insisting that drivers and passengers buckle their safety belts, that drivers obey traffic laws and don’t drink and drive.
Safety should always be the first priority when traveling in a motor vehicle.