The Sheridan Police Department has developed an educational program on driving behavior and traffic safety as an alternative to fines for individuals who have been issued citations for different traffic violations.
While appearing on Sheridan Media’s Public Pulse program, SPD Chief Travis Koltiska informed listeners that education yields better results than citation in many cases of traffic violations.
Chief T. Koltiska
Developed by SPD Lieutenant Dan Keller, the classes will consist of a total of eight hours of instruction, broken up for four nights.
Instruction will be done by officers of the Sheridan Police Department.
Keller told listeners this is also an opportunity to build on the community relationships between the department’s officers and the public; taking what could have been a negative interaction with law enforcement and turning it into a positive learning experience.
During his research while developing the course curriculum, Keller found that many locations in the nation use an online course that track participants’ progress. Although he acknowledges the usefulness of these online courses, Keller wanted to develop something more.
Lt. D. Keller
The goal of the traffic school is to educate drivers on the law, the purpose of traffic enforcement and the need for proper driving behavior – safety.
The course is available to the general public. Applicants will be screened on a case by case basis. Parents can sign up their children if they would like some additional instruction.
In the future, judges in both the Municipal and Circuit Court systems may refer individuals they feel would benefit from this alternative sentencing, such as first time offenders or youthful drivers. Keller emphasizes that those decisions are at the judges’ discretion.
If you would like to be a part of this or have more questions contact Lt. Dan Keller at dkeller@sheridanwy.gov or call 307-674-6352.
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Last modified: August 3, 2022