Effective immediately, the Camarillo Police Department’s Traffic Unit will begin a new traffic program, called Sheriff’s Teen Traffic Offender Program (S.T.T.O.P.) The Camarillo Police Department is proud to team up with other Ventura and Los Angeles County cities in offering this service to it’s residents.

According to recently published statistics, sixteen to eighteen year-olds account for approximately 12% of the driving population, yet are involved in 25% of all traffic collisions. In fact, sixteen year-olds are 20 times more likely than seventeen and eighteen year-olds to be involved in a traffic collision of some type during their first year of driving. Sadly, 6,000 teens nationwide will lose their lives in traffic collisions this year and it is believed many needless traffic deaths could have been prevented if someone had taken an active interest in their reckless driving habits.

To that end, the Sheriff’s Teen Traffic Offender Program (STTOP) was created at Malibu/Lost Hills Station. The program has become so successful; each of the five contract cities served by Malibu/Lost Hills Station has agreed to participate in the funding for a full-time STTOP deputy. Acknowledging teen drivers do not recognize artificial city boundaries, the program has also been initiated in a number of neighboring Ventura County cities including Moorpark, Thousand Oaks, Oak Park, Simi Valley, Santa Paula, Ojai, and now Camarillo.

The objective of the program is simple and modeled after proven strategies designed to reduce the likelihood of young people becoming involved in serious criminal behavior. It is believed Sheriff’s deputies could effectively intervene when the reckless driving habits of teenaged drivers are brought to their attention, thereby reducing or eliminating the high number of senseless deaths brought about by inexperienced, immature drivers with poor judgment and decision-making skills. Consequently, teens enhance their driving skills and all motorists are the beneficiaries of a safer highway system.

When a member of the community observes a teenaged driver operating a motor vehicle in a dangerous or reckless manner, their driving may be reported utilizing a toll-free hot line (877-310-STOP or 818-880-5420) at Malibu/Lost Hills Station or WWW.STTOP.NET. The STTOP program does not dispatch a deputy sheriff to take law enforcement action. Rather, with the information left by the anonymous caller, a deputy conducts an “intervention” with the teenaged driver and his/her parent(s). The counseling session is non-confrontational and designed to create positive change in the driving habits of the teenager.