The San Francisco Police Department says it is writing fewer traffic citations and yet the city's streets are safer.
San Francisco police say they've issued nearly 7,000 fewer tickets compared with last year. They say the numbers are reflective of a new initiative that focuses efforts on the five most dangerous violations: speeding, red-light runners, failing to yield when turning, failing to yield to pedestrians and rolling through stop signs.
Safer streets advocates say police staffing also should be attributed to the lower number of citations.
"In some ways, there isn't enough manpower to be enforcing traffic," says Nicole Ferrera of Walk SF. "That's why we need automated speed enforcement to complement what police officers are already doing."
Automated speed traps are illegal in California, but there is a push to change that, with some pedestrian advocates hoping for a pilot program next year.
