Elyria police crack down on traffic violations; why drivers there are being pulled over

ELYRIA, Ohio (WOIO) - Elyria police say their officers are cracking down on traffic violations, and they plan to keep it up.

The department shared new data Wednesday that tracked citations written over a 5-day period on the city’s east side.

“Our traffic enforcement initiatives serve only one purpose, to keep our roadways safer by reducing accidents and injuries,” the department wrote in a Facebook post.

It is part of an effort that really started back in May, with the creation of a two-person traffic unit.

“I took over as the full-time patrol commander in May, and one of the first things I decided to do was make a full-time traffic unit,” said Capt. James Welsh. “The two guys who are full-time in this unit have been doing this since May, and they average around 20-25 tickets per day.”

He says the creation of the unit was spurred by the massive number of complaints about driving violations and driving safety concerns.

Mark Williams lives in the area where patrols were focused, right on the corner of a four-way stop.

He says it has been a problem for some time.

“Yeah, it’s kinda rough because cars just run through here non-stop,” said Williams. “There’s kids out here, and I don’t wanna see nobody get hurt, but since the officers have been pulling a lot of people over, I think they’re getting a lot of peoples’ attention because now a lot of cars are stopping.”

Welsh says the numbers speak for themselves.

“Since implementation in May, we’re down 20 percent in traffic crashes throughout the city,” said Welsh.

According to police, the next step will be increased patrols on the west side this week.

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