The Laredo Police Department’s Traffic Section was established to solely focus on the motoring public. With an increase in population every year, the streets of Laredo are becoming a hazard to the community. Laredo has a growing population that is expected to surpass 200,000 by the year 2000. This figure increases substantially with the addition of resident aliens, illegal aliens, commercial traffic, and tourists that enter Laredo on a daily basis.
Due to the high volume of traffic, many of the roads in Laredo are being improved to handle this growing phenomenon. The need for a traffic division at the Laredo Police Department is essential to provide a safe driving environment. The Traffic Section currently consists of one sergeant and six police officers. The officers concentrate on roads that are heavily used by the public (Bob Bullock Lp., Zapata Hwy., McPherson Rd., IH-35, Del Mar Blvd., Clark Blvd.). Their primary duties include:
1. Deter motorists from committing traffic violations by establishing a physical
presence
2. Issue traffic citations and warnings to traffic violators
3. Investigate traffic accidents
4. Inspect tractor trailers to ensure that they are in compliance with safety
regulations. Each officer is DOT certified.
5. Provide motorcycle escorts
6. Enforces the city’s truck route ordinance