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Carlsbad police report: parking citations jump 37% in second quarter; collisions stable
Summary
The Carlsbad Police Department said second-quarter enforcement efforts produced a 37% jump in parking citations and higher officer-initiated enforcement while overall collisions held near recent baselines.
Lieutenant Jason Arnotti, traffic-division commander for the Carlsbad Police Department, presented the department's second-quarter enforcement and mobility report, highlighting a 37% increase in parking citations and continued emphasis on proactive traffic enforcement.
"In the second quarter, our officers issued more than 1,400 parking citations, a 37% increase from the prior quarter," Arnotti said, noting particular increases in 72-hour parking enforcement and blocking bike lane citations. He reported that blocking bike-lane citations rose from 20 to 71 and that enforcement most frequently occurred on State Street (119 citations), Grand Avenue (41), Beach Avenue (38), Christianson Way (38) and Oak Avenue (30).
Arnotti said the department issued more than 4,000 parking citations and warnings when combining full-time staff and the senior volunteer patrol's activity. He credited the volunteer patrol with education, 72-hour vehicle marking and handicap-parking enforcement that supports overall curb management.
Collision volume remained roughly consistent with recent baselines, Arnotti said. "In 02/2024, the city averaged 176 collisions per quarter. Our current year to date average is 177," he said. He added that while overall collisions decreased slightly, the quarter included two fatal collisions and a small increase in serious injuries.
The report highlighted a 23% increase in departmentwide traffic stops, rising from about 2,500 to more than 3,000 in the second quarter, and increased officer-initiated DUI arrests while DUI-related collisions decreased. Arnotti said most DUI arrests occurred during weekend saturation patrols in downtown corridors.
Bicycle and e-bike collisions fell from 28 to 24 between the first and second quarters. Arnotti attributed the change to a combination of increased enforcement, education campaigns and engineering investments such as added bike-lane striping and bright green pavement markings.
On e-motorcycle enforcement, Arnotti described multisector operations that involved the department's eight motorcycles, undercover vehicles and drone support. "This past quarter, we nabbed maybe close to 16 of them where we towed them off the roadway," he said, referring to large, high-speed electric motorcycles and modified e-motorbikes that frequently perform wheelies and travel at high speeds.
Arnotti said the department coordinates with neighboring agencies, including the Oceanside Police Department, to disrupt group rides and shared social-media activity that can encourage reckless riding. He said enforcement can include citations, vehicle tows and, in some cases, citing a responsible adult when juvenile riders are involved.
Commissioners asked for additional data in future reports, including a breakdown of incidents tied to roundabouts and traffic circles, and specific counts from recent DUI checkpoints; Arnotti said those data could be included in future updates. The department said it will continue monthly traffic blitzes, focused deterrence operations, school outreach on bicycle safety and coordination with the transportation department on traffic-calming solutions.
