Washington State Patrol 2001 Annual Report

2001 ANNUAL REPORT

Image of 2001 report cover We, the Washington State Patrol, answer our citizens’ call for public safety.

We continue our statewide Aggressive Driver Program, which was implemented in 2000 in each Washington State Patrol district. These teams have proven very successful in identifying incidents of road rage on state and interstate highways, as indicated below (statistics are for calendar year 2001):

18,392 Aggressive Driver Infractions 4,013 Negligent Driving

13,708 Arrests for DUI 1,404 Reckless Driving

153,327 Cited for Speeding

The Missing and Exploited Children’s Task Force opened 52 new cases and recovered and/or located 46 children.

A sex offender escaped from the Pierce County Courthouse during the February 28, 2001, earthquake. During the next day, the Department of Licensing was out of their building and so could not be used to find information on this escapee. The Criminal Records Division made contacts and was able to obtain the information needed to apprehend the escapee.

In April 2001, a driver in Bellingham was stopped for running a red light. The odor of marijuana was detected coming from the vehicle and a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) was requested. After the drug evaluation, the troopers arrested the driver for driving under the influence of drugs (marijuana). In August, this case became the first DRE case to go to trial. The trial lasted two days. Due to the diligent and professional work of the DRE’s, the jury was out for less than 10 minutes before coming back with a guilty verdict.

King County Sheriff Dave Reichert announced the major breakthrough in the Green River Serial Murder Case that was made possible by DNA analysis done in the Seattle Crime Laboratory. The work done by our scientists represents a significant enhancement to public safety in our state because it made possible the removal of one of the most dangerously violent predators in modern history.

Fire Protection Bureau (Office of the State Fire Marshal) staff licensed 744 retail fireworks stands using a revised licensing system, resulting in a deduction of staff time by 50 percent. They worked closely with WSP detectives in completing the preliminary investigation of possible fraudulent activities by two state-licensed fire sprinkler contractors. These investigations are ongoing.

As of December 31, 2001, a total of 2,570 students were enrolled in the Basic Firefighter I program, 578 of which completed the training.

The Awareness Level for Marine Firefighting for Land Based Firefighters was submitted to the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC). This was the first program in the nation to be accredited by IFSAC to an alternative standard.

Fire Protection Bureau staff completed the annual relicensing of 268 fire sprinkler contractors and 438 certificates of competency holders.

The Washington State Patrol Crime Scene Response Team (CSRT) is a joint effort of the Crime Laboratory Division, the Traffic Investigation Division, and the Identification Section. The CSRT provides a comprehensive investigative capability for crime scenes at the request of any law enforcement agency in the state. The CSRT responded to 124 callouts during 2001.

There were a total of 13,389 breath tests performed by Washington State Patrol officers in 2001. In addition, the Washington State Patrol (WSP) Implied Consent Section trained 1,740 operators in breath test refresher training and 1,028 operators completed the basic breath test training class. Implied Consent Section technicians appeared in court 432 times in 2001.

There were 3,652 death investigations conducted and 2,649 DUI and 560 Drug Recognition Expert cases received by the Forensic Laboratory Services Bureau in 2001.

The Crime Laboratory Division received over 3,400 controlled substance cases each quarter of 2001. The median turnaround time of pending controlled substance cases ranged from 14-29 days, consistent with the division’s performance measure of less than 30 days.

Acting on information provided by the Department of Licensing (DOL) on May 2, 2001, Washington State Patrol detectives initiated an investigation into 16 burglaries and thefts from DOL offices in the Puget Sound area from Everett to Shelton. The suspects stole items to manufacture false identification cards and driver’s licenses. The false identification was then being used to defraud businesses. Suspects were arrested and stolen DOL laminates and a computer for making false Washington identification were recovered, along with the names of 168 victims. The FBI is pursuing federal charges for Internet fraud and identity theft.

In 1997, WSP Computer Forensics detectives investigated 47 cases. In 2001, the unit conducted investigations on an unprecedented 147 cases, and this trend is showing no signs of slowing down. The detectives work closely with the WSP’s Missing and Exploited Children’s Task Force to help solve child pornography cases. Thirty-five cases involving child pornography were handled in 2001, compared to one case in 1997. These detectives continue to work hard to make Washington a safer place for our children. The Computer Crimes Unit is only one of three units of its kind to provide this service to outside customers.

The accomplishments of the Washington State Patrol for the year 2001 can be attributed to its dedicated employees, whose efforts to promote public safety and to proactively support our communities must be acknowledged.

Mission & Vision | Citizens Survey | Past Reports

WASHINGTON MOTORING ENVIRONMENT

Motoring Environment 2002 2001

Registered Vehicles 6.0 million

Licensed Drivers 4.3 million

Miles Traveled (in billions)
53,669

Statewide Population 5,974,900

Fatality Rate 1.21

WSP MAJOR ARREST CATEGORIES

Arrest Category 2002 2001

DUI 14,617

Vehicular Homicide 33

Hit-and-Run 703

Reckless Driving 1,528

Negligent Driving 4,346

Felony Eluding 240

Failure to Yield Right-of-Way 2,224

Child Restraint 2,817

Seat Belt Violations 39,729

Speed 21,728

Speed - Aircraft 3,584

Speed - Radar 140,411

Speed - Too Fast for Conditions 9,226

Hazardous Materials 75

Motor Vehicle Theft 135

Misdemeanor Warrants 6,176

Felony Warrants 1,892

Drugs 6,023

Uninsured Motorists 27,791

WASHINGTON STATE PATROL TRAFFIC ACTIVITY

Traffic Activity 2002 2001

Motorists Contacted - Traffic Violations 1,449,618

Total Citations Issued 395,747

Written Warnings Issued 182,831

Verbal Warnings Issued 871,040

Motorists Assisted 541,105

Collisions Investigated 41,977

DUI Drivers Removed 14,668

BREATH TESTS & DRUG EVALUATIONS (DEC)

WSP Tests/Evaluations 2002 2001

Total Number of Breath Tests* 13,351

Average Breath Alcohol 0.133

Percentage of Collisions 14%

Percentage of Refusals 15%

Drug Evaluations Conducted on Drivers 537

Total Certified Drug Recognition Experts 121

*Statistics do not include cases where a serious collision occurred,
the driver went to the hospital, and blood was drawn (about 5% more).

WSP COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SERVICES

Service Statistics 2002 2001

Trucks Weighed 1,453,786

Permit Revenues (in dollars) 997,923

Permits Sold 33,129

School Bus Inspections 10,811

Private School Bus Inspections 59

Comm. Veh. Safety Alliance Inspections 74,105

Truck Inspections - vehicles out of service 14,764

Truck Inspections - drivers out of service 4,880

VIN Inspections 214,562

CRIMINAL RECORDS DIVISION

Criminal History Statistics 2002 2001

Public Inquiries
105,778

Child/Vulnerable Adult Inquiries
53,789

Fingerprint Cards Received
304,478

Fingerprint Card Upgrades
171,117

New Fingerprint Records Added
34,042

Online Checks through WATCH
838,128

Active Online Users of WATCH
8,317

Processed Records Requests (in dollars)
5,128,193

Disposition (all types)
289,163

STATEWIDE INCIDENT RESPONSE TEAM

Response Description 2002 2001

Methamphetamine Lab 343

Tactical Responses 12

Turndowns 86

Total Calls for Service 492

OFFICE OF PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS

Investigation
2002
2001

Complaints 260

Pursuits 277 ²

Use of Force 171 ³

WSP Vehicle Collisions/Incidents 248 ⁴

(1) 41% proven (2) 1.1% unauthorized (3) .5% unauthorized (4) 38.7% chargeable


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