TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

A select group of officers, the Traffic Management Unit's goal is to insure that the streets of Leawood are safe for residents and nonresidents alike.

The Traffic Management unit includes three traffic officers driving patrol cars, who are certified crash investigators and respond to the majority of the crashes that occur in the city. In 1999 the unit added three motorcycle officers on Harley Davidson motorcycles who are most visibly seen enforcing traffic laws, particularly in problem and complaint areas. Traffic Unit officers also assist with such safety programs as child safety seat installations, vehicle checkpoints and Operation Impact events.

In addition to the manpower in the Traffic Safety Unit, the Leawood Police Department has a couple of speed awareness devices that can rotated among various speed complaint areas. The most visible is a radar speed trailer that serves to educate motorists of their speed, alerting them to slow down if they are exceeding the speed limit. The device also logs vehicle speeds, average speeds and traffic volumes, data that can be statistically reviewed later to determine particular problem time frames. A second, 'stealth' device is not nearly as visible to motorists but is able to record the same types of data as the radar trailer for review by the unit. To request the radar trailer in your neighborhood, please contact Sergeant Hackathorn at (913) 642-5555, ext. 267, or by e-mail.

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SUPERVISOR

Sgt. Mark Hackathorn is the Traffic Management Unit supervisor. He joined the Leawood Police Department in 1991. Before being promoted to Sergeant in April of 2004, he served as an Evidence Technician, Field Training Officer and helped form the department's current Emergency Vehicle Operations (EVOC) Training Program. Sgt. Hackathorn is an EVOC instructor for the department and the Johnson County Regional Police Academy and is also the senior member of the department's Honor Guard. He has a bachelor's degree from Northeast Missouri State University. Contact Sgt. Hackathorn by e-mail.