TRAFFIC DIVISION

The Palm Desert Police Department Traffic Division is responsible for the investigation of traffic collisions and conducting traffic enforcement and education programs throughout the City of Palm Desert. The Traffic Division is a contract law enforcement enhancement to provide support for the general law enforcement component (Patrol). The Traffic Division staff includes two sergeants, twelve officers and one Community Services Officer (CSO). The collision investigation portion of this division consists of one sergeant, three traffic officers, and one CSO. This team is primarily assigned to accident investigation and DUI enforcement. The collision investigation team has primary responsibility of investigation of traffic collisions and a secondary responsibility of traffic law enforcement and education. The remainder of the division consists of one sergeant and eight motor officers assigned to the Motorcycle Enforcement Program. The Motorcycle Enforcement Program’s primary responsibility is traffic law enforcement and education, and a secondary responsibility of traffic collision investigation.

The Traffic Division provides needed support for patrol officers by handling specific traffic issues that can often become time consuming (such as major traffic accident reconstruction), thereby allowing the patrol division to handle criminal calls for service and conduct proactive enforcement. The Traffic Division provides additional emergency response support to the patrol division during critical incidents.

The City of Palm Desert also supports the COVE communities Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Program. The Commercial Vehicle Program consists of one officer specifically assigned to focus on commercial vehicles that may be overweight, unsafe, and/or carrying improper loads on roadways within the cove communities.

The Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officer handles Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) verifications using state of the art computer software and handles citation sign-off duties: Monday-Friday from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Palm Desert Station.

The Palm Desert Police Traffic Team routinely conducts 'Traffic Safey' checkpoints in various areas of the city. These checkpoints bring public awareness to the dangers of driving without seat belts and other safety violations. A recent checkpoint had hundreds of vehicles pass through with deputies stopping 150 of them for visible safety violations. Approximately 60 of these 150 vehicles were cited for not wearing their seat belts and other vehicle code violations. Local media covered the event, which was a resounding success.