The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) is changing the way it conducts traffic stops in an effort to protect both officers and the public as the outbreak of the new coronavirus continues.
In a typical traffic stop, the officer comes to the driver's side of the vehicle and asks for license and registration. That’s a driver's cue to hand those documents to the officer. But not anymore. Instead, Officer Ethan Baughman with CSPD says the driver will be asked to hold up their documents so the officer can take photos.
“The reason for the pictures is so officers can go back to their vehicle to verify information and fill out any potential summons paperwork,” he says in a video posted to CSPD’s Facebook page.
The agency says the photos will be deleted immediately following the stop.
Another change includes not having the driver sign their ticket, if one is issued.
Baughman says officers will write COVID-19 in the signature portion of the ticket, instead.
“This does not mean an officer has COVID-19 or believes the driver has been exposed. It simply means that this event occurred during the coronavirus outbreak,” he says.
The department says the changes are in an effort to limit contact and practice safe social distancing.
Watch the video from CSPD below
