Councilor Credo asked the Rochester Police Department during the July 15 council workshop whether a large year-over-year increase in traffic stops was tied to improved staffing or a policy change. Chief Boudreaux responded that staffing has improved and that traffic enforcement is a proactive priority; "Our staffing is much better. At this point right now, we have 3 open positions," Boudreaux said, adding the department is "trending in the right direction."

Boudreaux told the council that when comparing the first six months of this year with the same period last year, "it's 1,300 and change," referring to the increase in traffic stops. Councilor Credo praised the department's effort and asked about enforcement specifically targeted at vehicles with excessively loud exhausts that community members described as sounding "like gunfire." Boudreaux said the department had not set a specific targeted enforcement effort and noted impending changes to inspection requirements could affect enforcement options.

The chief also said the department currently does not have officers certified as New Hampshire vehicle inspectors, a credential the department has had in the past. Boudreaux described changes to state inspection requirements as temporary and said those changes could affect the department's ability to use certain inspection-based enforcement tools.

Discussion: councilor raised public complaints about loud vehicles and recognized increased proactive traffic enforcement. Direction: none formalized at the workshop; councilors asked for continued attention to traffic enforcement and for staff to monitor the legal framework. Decision: no policy or enforcement change was adopted at the workshop.

Next steps: the police department will continue proactive traffic enforcement as staffing permits and monitor state-level inspection changes that could influence enforcement tactics.