Traffic SafetyLt.Garry ScottVermont State Police

Traffic Safety Unit

Vermont State Police

• 327 Sworn members.• 90 emergency dispatchers.• Primary law enforcement for over 200 towns in

Vermont.• Cover 90% of the land mass.• Cover over 50% of the population.• Cover 90% of all 911 calls.

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Divisions

• Field Force – 12 field stations and traffic safety unit.

• Criminal Division – Investigated major crimes.

• Support Services – Recruitment, training, technology, public information and internal affairs.

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Mission StatementThe mission of the Vermont State Police is to

individually and collectively serve and protect by providing the highest quality of professional law

enforcement services.

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Objective of Traffic Safety• Traffic Safety remains a core mission of the Vermont State

Police. Through aggressive, high visibility enforcement, education and public awareness.

1400 bags of heroin on I91 Fatal DUI crash Orange, VT

Traffic Safety

• There are three teams within the traffic safety unit - North, Central and South.

• The unit serves as the liaison with other traffic safety programs.

• GHSP, DMV, AOT, Dept. of Health, Fletcher Allen and the VHSA.

• Responsible for collecting and analyzing crash data.

• Oversee the various highway safety grants.

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Traffic Education

• Drivers education classes.• Private companies.• High schools.• Public events.

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Operation CARE

• Combined Accident Reduction Effort• All 50 states participate • Holiday weekends

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Drug Recognition Program

• DRE’s• Trooper’s specially trained in the detection of

drivers under the influence of drugs other than alcohol.

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Training

• Experienced officers with a proven expertise in DWI detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing.

• The officer attends an intense 80 hour drug recognition course.

• The officer completes twelve evaluations involving at least three of the seven drug categories.

• The officer must pass a comprehensive examination.

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Drug Categories

• CNS DEPRESSANTS• CNS STIMULANTS• HALLUCINOGENS• DISSOCIATIVE ANESTHETICS• NARCOTIC ANALGESICS• INHALANTS• CANNABIS

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12 Step Process• Rule out alcohol impairment. Breath test.• Interview arresting officer.• Preliminary examination/take pulse 3x• Eye examination• Divided attention (Romberg, walk & turn, one leg

stand, finger to nose.)• Vital signs (BP, Body temp)• Dark room exam• Muscle tone• Injection sites• Statements, observations• Opinion• Toxicology

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Crash Reconstruction

• 14 members on the team.• Members have more than 280 hours of

classroom training.• Respond to more than 50 serious injury/fatal

crashes each year.• Support local and county police.

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Equipment

• Total Station• Diagramming software

Diagrams Crash Math Calculations Animation – 2D and 3D

• Accelerometer Acceleration and Deceleration Factors

• Crash Data Retrieval (CDR) Hardware and Software

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What are we working on?

• Older driver/diminished cognitive ability assessment/training program for Law Enforcement.(VSP, DMV & VPA)

• Expected 85% increase in people over the age of 65 by 2030.

• DMV’s re-examination process.• Continued partnership with Vtrans for road

safety.• Legislative updates.(Drugged driving,

seatbelts, distracted/aggresive driving)

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Questions

 Lieutenant Garry ScottVermont State Police

Traffic Operations UnitCrash Reconstruction Team

2777 St. George RdWilliston, VT 05495(802) 872-4056 (w)(802) 238-3042 ©

Garry.Scott@state.vt.us

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