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SFPD traffic captain says injury collisions down but fatalities have risen this year
Summary
Captain Corrales told the Police Commission that injury collisions are down in many districts but pedestrian and overall fatalities have increased; the Traffic Company is using grant-funded motorcycles and community sting operations while balancing deployments to neighborhoods under siege.
Captain Corrales, commanding officer of the San Francisco Police Department Traffic Company, briefed the commission on traffic-enforcement work, data trends and grant-supported tactics.
"Injury accidents are down this year. Unfortunately, fatalities are up," Corrales said, noting that through July there had been 18 fatal accidents producing 19 fatalities and that August included three additional fatal accidents that produced six more fatalities. He said pedestrian injuries and fatalities had increased and identified speeding as the primary cause of many collisions.
Corrales described partnerships with the Department of Parking and Traffic, the Office of Traffic Safety and neighborhood groups, and highlighted enforcement tactics such as pedestrian sting operations and targeted motorcycle enforcement funded by grants. He said one grant provided 19 new Harley-Davidson motorcycles fitted with radar; those officers are required to spend 100% of their time on enforcement for one year before the motorcycles become SFPD property.
Commissioners asked about outreach to non-English-speaking communities, unit diversity and the seniority system that governs traffic assignments. Corrales said flyers distributed in community operations have been bilingual (English/Chinese on Geary, English/Spanish in Mission) and that the traffic company was becoming more diverse though it lags the department because motorcycle assignments historically require long seniority.
On staffing, Corrales said the traffic company is allotted 60 motorcycle officers and currently had 13 vacancies; he also highlighted the P2 five-year rotation program, which assigns officers in rotations to provide opportunities for younger officers.
The commission did not take formal policy action on the presentation but followed with detailed Q&A and set expectations for additional data and outreach materials.
