The police officers from the Reston District Station conducted a number of operations this year that differ from what their counterparts in other areas of the county are doing. In September of last year, the station set up a full-time traffic team, which responds to citizen observations and input.
In one of their first operations of this year, Reston officers handed out reflective vests to bicyclists who commute to work, hoping they would be more visible in the dark hours of the commute. "Operation Pedal Safe was very well received," said Capt. Deborah Burnett, the station’s commander. He said the traffic team has had great success in enforcement and prevention campaigns since its initiation. "We need to have frequent traffic initiatives," she said.
In one recent initiative, Operation Safe Crossing, Reston officers held a two-week traffic enforcement campaign aimed at promoting greater awareness of school safety. Even after publicly announcing the intention of the campaign, the officers issued 180 traffic summonses. "We were surprised with the results," said Burnett. She did not anticipate that so many summonses would be issued. However, she said, the two-week campaign seems to have worked. Burnett said the officers from the station follow up on their operations to gauge their success. When they surveyed the areas of operation in Safe Crossing, they noticed a lot fewer traffic violations.
Burnett said the Reston District station wants to be an integral part of the community. She said the recent campaigns have strengthened the partnership between the police and the community. Over the next couple of weeks, officers from the Reston station will conduct a drunk driving enforcement campaign. Burnett said as the weather gets nicer, and the prom and graduation season kicks in, there would be more drunk drivers on the roads. "DWI enforcement is a high priority," she said.