Traffic Officers

GLENDALE — The police department will get a $26,045 grant to help pay officers working overtime to conduct additional seat belt enforcement in the city. The City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a grant that will allow the Glendale Police Department’s Traffic Bureau officers to operate extra enforcement checkpoints, where they will be looking for motorists and vehicle passengers who are not wearing seat belts. “Our goal is improving traffic safety,” said Glendale Police Lt. Carl Povilaitis.

DOWNTOWN — A male driver ran a red light and smashed into a minivan late Wednesday, the latest in a series of dangerous car collisions in the city, police said. No one was hurt in the crash at Brand Boulevard and Broadway, Glendale Police Officer Bryan Duncan said, although parts of both streets were shut down as police and fire officials cleared debris from the intersection. Glendale resident John Sumner was driving along with his 10-month-old baby, heading east on Broadway through a green light, when a dark-colored compact car came into view, he said.

More than 97,000 citations for traffic and parking violations were issued last year, a sum that changed little compared with 2011, according to figures recently released by Glendale police. Parking enforcement officers issued 79,392 tickets last year, up 4,397 from 2011, according to the Glendale Police Department. Citations for traffic-related violations, meanwhile, were down from 22,896 in 2011 to 17,784 last year. “The overall goal behind it is to make the streets safer,” said Glendale Police Lt. Steve Robertson, who oversees the Traffic Bureau.

The Glendale Police Department earned second place among similarly-sized agencies in California for its education, enforcement and traffic safety efforts. California Highway Patrol Chief Steve Beeuwsaert bestowed the CHP-sponsored 2010 California Law Enforcement Challenge award to Police Chief Ron De Pompa and traffic officers during Tuesday's City Council meeting. “This is indeed in an honor,” De Pompa said. “We appreciate so much our working relationship with our regional partners, and traffic safety obviously is a regional problem.

GLENDALE — Increased traffic enforcement will hit the streets over the New Year’s holiday, targeting impaired drivers to prevent alcohol-related accidents. The Glendale Police Department’s strategy is two-fold, setting up a stationary checkpoint in addition to “saturated enforcement,” which will put an additional eight to 14 traffic officers on the streets today, Lt. Carl Povilaitis said. “We’re doing a little of everything,” he said.

BOB HOPE AIRPORT — While airports remained on "high danger" travel advisory on the eve of the busiest travel day of the year, travelers in Burbank were showing few signs of anxiety on Tuesday. "My feeling is, give yourself plenty of time, relax and take a patience pill," Los Angeles resident Kevin DeRemer said. "Because whatever they're doing, it's worth it." Commercial airline carriers were expecting the highest passenger numbers during the middle of the week, airport spokesman Victor Gill said.

Super Bowl revelers beware: police will be out in force Sunday with eye for inebriated drivers. Glendale police on Sunday plan to crackdown on drivers who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol as part of a roving citywide anti-DUI campaign. Patrolling officers will scatter throughout the city in addition to targeting areas with the highest number of DUI-involved collisions, said Police Traffic and Air Support Lt. Steve Robertson. Law enforcement throughout Los Angeles County will also conduct roving DUI patrols.

GLENDALE — As shoppers from throughout the region today head out to Glendale's major shopping destinations, police have stepped up their efforts to deal with the influx of traffic on streets. The city will deploy 15 officers to deal with traffic issues near the major shopping centers, including the Glendale Galleria and Americana at Brand, police Lt. Carl Povilaitis said. Another officer will have a birds-eye view from the Traffic Management Center of the busy shopping center and will advise fellow officers on the streets how to keep traffic flowing.

Crosswalk problem can't be solved with money only When asked about the rising number of pedestrians being struck by cars in Glendale, Councilman Gus Gomez said it's time to hire more traffic officers and look into doubling traffic fines in high-traffic areas in Glendale. Rafi Manoukian, Carole Sussman and Larry Miller agreed more could be done to educate pedestrians on how to cross the streets. What happened to common sense? God gave us a brain, now use it. Gomez is throwing money at a problem, which never solves a thing.

Paul M. Anderson GLENDALE -- Glendale Fire Engineer Ted Verdone was on his way home Thursday when, fortunately, he got stuck in a traffic jam. Fortunately? That's right. Verdone accidentally got in line for free gas at George McCullough's Shell station at Glendale Avenue and Lexington Drive. "I just happened to get in this lane and someone was yelling, 'Free gas.' This is pure happenstance," Verdone said. Asked if he was a fan of Star 98.7, the radio station that sponsored the event, Verdone fiddled with his radio knob to find the station.

More than 97,000 citations for traffic and parking violations were issued last year, a sum that changed little compared with 2011, according to figures recently released by Glendale police. Parking enforcement officers issued 79,392 tickets last year, up 4,397 from 2011, according to the Glendale Police Department. Citations for traffic-related violations, meanwhile, were down from 22,896 in 2011 to 17,784 last year. “The overall goal behind it is to make the streets safer,” said Glendale Police Lt. Steve Robertson, who oversees the Traffic Bureau.

Super Bowl revelers beware: police will be out in force Sunday with eye for inebriated drivers. Glendale police on Sunday plan to crackdown on drivers who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol as part of a roving citywide anti-DUI campaign. Patrolling officers will scatter throughout the city in addition to targeting areas with the highest number of DUI-involved collisions, said Police Traffic and Air Support Lt. Steve Robertson. Law enforcement throughout Los Angeles County will also conduct roving DUI patrols.

The Glendale Police Department earned second place among similarly-sized agencies in California for its education, enforcement and traffic safety efforts. California Highway Patrol Chief Steve Beeuwsaert bestowed the CHP-sponsored 2010 California Law Enforcement Challenge award to Police Chief Ron De Pompa and traffic officers during Tuesday's City Council meeting. “This is indeed in an honor,” De Pompa said. “We appreciate so much our working relationship with our regional partners, and traffic safety obviously is a regional problem.

GLENDALE — As shoppers from throughout the region today head out to Glendale's major shopping destinations, police have stepped up their efforts to deal with the influx of traffic on streets. The city will deploy 15 officers to deal with traffic issues near the major shopping centers, including the Glendale Galleria and Americana at Brand, police Lt. Carl Povilaitis said. Another officer will have a birds-eye view from the Traffic Management Center of the busy shopping center and will advise fellow officers on the streets how to keep traffic flowing.

GLENDALE — A singer from the pop group Girlicious was arrested Tuesday night after police found more than a dozen individual packages of cocaine in her Gucci purse, officials said. Natalie Mejia, 21, of Diamond Bar, was released Wednesday from the Glendale City Jail after posting a $30,000 bond, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Mejia and Peter Asencio, 28, of Burbank, were taken into custody shortly after 9:20 p.m., when police noticed a Ford Mustang speeding, Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.

DOWNTOWN — A male driver ran a red light and smashed into a minivan late Wednesday, the latest in a series of dangerous car collisions in the city, police said. No one was hurt in the crash at Brand Boulevard and Broadway, Glendale Police Officer Bryan Duncan said, although parts of both streets were shut down as police and fire officials cleared debris from the intersection. Glendale resident John Sumner was driving along with his 10-month-old baby, heading east on Broadway through a green light, when a dark-colored compact car came into view, he said.

Husband and wife Allan and Jean Zimmerman volunteered three years ago to patrol the streets of Glendale for the Police Department ? and they don?t plan on stopping any time soon. The retired couple donate their time to go out on patrol once a week as part of the Glendale Police Department?s Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol, issuing parking violation citations, keeping tabs on graffiti and illegal dumping, monitoring parking lots and checking homes whose owners have gone away for vacation and requested periodic checks from police.

GLENDALE — The police department will get a $26,045 grant to help pay officers working overtime to conduct additional seat belt enforcement in the city. The City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a grant that will allow the Glendale Police Department’s Traffic Bureau officers to operate extra enforcement checkpoints, where they will be looking for motorists and vehicle passengers who are not wearing seat belts. “Our goal is improving traffic safety,” said Glendale Police Lt. Carl Povilaitis.

Glendale residents can go behind the scenes at the Glendale Police Department during a Citizen’s Academy next week. It is the third time the department as held the free academy, which gives participants an in-depth view of the various divisions within the department, said Jerry Uebel, who is a former officer and serves as community liaison for the department. “What we do is we try to give them a close-up look at police work — more so than the general public sees most of the time,” he said.

GLENDALE — Increased traffic enforcement will hit the streets over the New Year’s holiday, targeting impaired drivers to prevent alcohol-related accidents. The Glendale Police Department’s strategy is two-fold, setting up a stationary checkpoint in addition to “saturated enforcement,” which will put an additional eight to 14 traffic officers on the streets today, Lt. Carl Povilaitis said. “We’re doing a little of everything,” he said.