By Robin Jovanovich and Tom McDermott

The Rye Police Department recently released statistics for the second quarter of 2013. The data, which is on the city website, includes traffic enforcement numbers and City Code and parking violations, in addition to calls for service, investigations, and arrests.

The decline in the number of tickets is disheartening, if not alarming. At the current pace, tickets for speeding, cell phone violations, and failure to stop at stop signs and red lights are on track to be down more than 50 percent from 2012. Yet, if you ask the average resident or downtown merchant, they’ll report that the number of drivers failing to stop at the stop signs on Purchase Street, making illegal left turns into Purchase from Elm Place, and turning into exit-only entrances of municipal parking lots is soaring. The Statistical Overview from the RPD shows that for the first half of 2013, only 45 tickets were given out for speeding, 14 for disobeying a sign/device 13 for cell phone violation, and 11 for failure to stop at a stop sign. Motorists who were caught violating traffic regulations may seek the services of a traffic attorney to represent them in a traffic court.

Is there a morale problem at RPD, as was noted any number of times during the recent City Council election campaign?

We asked Police Commissioner William Connors.

“Morale is a word I don’t like,” he said. “Cops are going to be dissatisfied. But some members of the force see critical parts of their job differently. If there’s a tragedy, they’ll come out of the woodwork. They do a fabulous job when it comes to most routine police work, but the desire and urge to do traffic enforcement is not there.”

Connors said he has spoken to the officers about “production,” which he acknowledges is low. “But there a lot of complex dynamics involved. A section of NY Labor Law prohibits quotas for tickets, arrests, and stops. Writing tickets is at the officers’ discretion.”

With six members of the force out or on restricted duty, the RPD is at a historical staffing level low. “There is a fatigue factor. Officers are working double shifts. Our duty chart requires us to have 28 officers and we really only have 22, with vacations, illnesses.”

The Commissioner says he’s as frustrated as anyone about the declining tickets. “I’d like to be able to write tickets myself. With a limited number of officers, we have to rely on people to demonstrate common sense and courtesy. Their driving behavior needs to improve. Enforcement is only one component of traffic safety. People need to respect and obey the laws.”