What are Marysville community members most concerned about? The highest number of reports received by the Marysville Police Department are traffic-related, with concerns about unsafe driving on city streets. 

Traffic safety is a top priority for MPD, now introducing three new members of the department’s Traffic Unit. Sergeant James Maples is working alongside Police Officers David Adams and Andrew Parker to enforce safe driving, focused on reducing crash numbers through education, engineering and enforcement. In 2022, Washington state saw the highest number of traffic-related fatalities in nearly three decades. Impaired drivers contribute to about a third of that number. With the start of 2024, one major focus of the Traffic Unit has been school zones, with reports of alarming speeds.  Another primary area of focus will be those drivers who are running red lights in our major intersections.

“We believe that having our Traffic Unit officers patrolling our streets will have a big impact in reducing traffic collisions, including fatalities, by educating some drivers and taking others off the road,” said Sergeant Maples.

Ultimately, our goal as a department is to improve the quality of life in this community by preventing traffic collisions and crime. Thanks to this unit, a significant impact has already been made since the Traffic Unit’s restart in December:

• MPD Traffic Totals (Dec. 16, 2023 – Jan. 9, 2024)

  • Traffic calls for service: 806
  • Collision calls for service: 110
  • Traffic-related citations: 373
  • DUI arrests: 30

With the start of 2024, one major focus of the Traffic Unit has been school zones, with reports of alarming speeds.

“In 2022, Washington state saw the highest number of traffic related fatalities in nearly three decades, with a total of 745. Impaired drivers, who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, sometimes both, contribute to about a third of that number,” said Traffic Unit Police Officer Andrew Parker. 

“My goal is to reduce impaired driving and collisions by conducting high visibility enforcement throughout the city… Let’s work together to make the roads of Marysville safe for all.”

 You can help our Traffic Unit by reporting erratic or reckless driving to 911 and providing as much detail as possible. Helpful information can include the type of vehicle or license plate, how the person is driving, the driver’s direction of travel and what the driver looks like.