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Published on 07/20/1998 All articles from this issue

CHP maintains traffic enforcement presence in unincorporated Los Altos

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Town Crier Staff Report

So, you're traveling down Country Club Drive in unincorporated Los Altos, and you see a traffic accident. Do you call Los Altos Police? The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office?

Actually, it's the California Highway Patrol that has jurisdiction over traffic matters in the unincorporated parts of the county, said local patrolman Lester Slusser.

Slusser, who grew up in Los Altos and graduated from Los Altos High School, has been patrolling unincorporated Los Altos on a regular basis the past four to five months. Before that, he was assigned to patrolling the area only twice a month.

Working out of the Redwood City office, which patrols San Mateo County and northern Santa Clara County, Slusser's beat also includes the Stanford University area.

Slusser said speeding and right-of-way violations are major issues on his patrol. He said he felt more stop signs are needed and pointed to some problem right-of-way areas, such as the Loyola Corners intersections and Eastbrook Avenue between Mora Drive and Magdalena Avenue.

Motorists should be on their best behavior out of safety concerns, not because he's patrolling, Slusser said.

"It's a courtesy thing," he said. "This is people's neighborhoods. They should pay attention and think about what they're doing when they're in someone else's neighborhood."

Slusser said one of the biggest challenges he faces on the beat is addressing misconceptions about traffic enforcement - for instance, the myth that officers have quotas for handing out tickets.

"I think people should realize that's not the way it works because it would make it whole lot easier on my part if that existed, as far as my job went," he said. Slusser added quotas are against the law.

In addition to patrolling and educating residents on the beat, Slusser goes into the schools to talk about his duties. In addition to traffic enforcement, the CHP is involved in accident investigation, vehicle theft probes, roadside assistance, abandoned vehicle removal, child safety-seat programs, school bus safety programs and bicycle safety education.

For more information, call 369-6268.