32 — Wednesday, March 4, 1998 — North Shore News | Top traffic cop puts away tickets Anna Marie D'Angelo News Reporter dangelo@nsnews.com TRAFFIC cop Al Steinhauser doesn’t like to admit that he gives out the most tickets of any officer working for the North Vancouver RCMP. Const. Steinhauser, 36, will only say that he has “the most contacts with the motoring public.” At an average of 300 traffic tickets a month that’s a lot of contacts. During the five years Steinhauser has worked at the North Vancouver RCMP, he has given out 18,000 tickets. The tickets have been for things like speeding, running ted lights, no seat belts, com- mercial vehicle offences and having open liquor in cars. “T have heard every excuse in the book,” said Stcinhauser. Steinhauser uncomfortably agreed to an interview last week now that his run in North Vancouver is nearing an end. Stcinhauser will packup __ his ticket books and move to YPrince George in May where he will be watching the roads there. “If anyone remembers me, I'd like them to remember me for the honest, straight for- ward and fair way that I was to them,” said Steinhauser. Steinhauser was uncom- fortable about being inter- viewed because, as he pointed - out, many North Vancouver RCMP officers have come and gone over the years. So why was the News picking on him for an interview? A survey of News traffic pictures during the last five years answers the question. Not only has Steinhauser been in several pictures in one issuc, he has had his picture in sever- al newspapers editions in 2 r@w. There are numerous pic- tures of Steinhauser with a radar gun as well as pho- tographs of him taking pic- tures at accidents. There arc other photographs of him carefully taking measurements around crumpled cars. There are also shots of Steinhauser on a motorcycle, lik: the one last year where he was watch- ing for drivers going through yellows on Lonsdale. ° When asked why he was in so many News _ photos, Steinhauser quipped, “Maybe Pm the only one that was working that day.” ewthe Vancouver — born Steinhauser started his career in the RCMP at Toronto Airport in 1991. He spent 18 months there which he says was “17 too long.” Steinhauser joined the 11- officer traffic section of the North Van RCMP in 1992. Traffic cops wear bright yellow and black jackets and are called * the bumble bees” by other police officers. Some @ietic cops say they like their jobs because ticket writing is “instant justice.” The 6°2” 230 Ib.. Steinhauser doesn’t take issue with that although, as a collision analyst, he likes doing paperwork. Steinhauser said chat traffic cgps don’t just give out tick- cts. They give advice and talk to motorists as well as hand out warming tickets. “We are not there to crucify the gener- al public, we are out there to educate them,” he said. One of his memorable inci- dents happened about three years ago when a woman in labor was speeding to Lions Gate Hospital from her Seymour area home. Steinhauser pulled her over. He bought her story, contrac- “We are not there to crucify the general public, we are out there to educate them.” tions and all. “Oh yea, vou could tell,” she _—s said. Steinhauser called an ambu- lance. The woman later gave birth to a healthy baby. Steinhauser said that if a motorist “misrepresents” the situation by saying for cxample “I had my seat belt on,” when the officer saw differently, the motorist will get a ticket. Among the responses Steinhauser has heard are: @ there is no way I could be doing that; B ny car can’t go up this hill that fast; @ it wasn’t me, it was the per- son in front of me; @ the pole jumped out in front of me; @ the dog ran out and I tried to avoid it. (Steinhauser ATTENTION! Quality repairs by factory trained believes that one as it hap- pened to him.) Steinhauser himself got a photo radar warning ticket. “1 learned my lesson.” quipped Steinhauser. On 2 serious note, Steinhauser_ believes that the problem of faulty brakes on dump trucks in) North Vancouver has a lot to do with the financial climate in the trucking industry. It’s expen- sive to maintain big rigs and operators will try to cut cor- ners in a competitive industry. Steinhauser said that fatal car accidents are usually caused by driver inattention related to speed or alcohol use. The constable said that he noticed photo radar has caused people to slow down. In North Vancouver, Steinhauser said he seems “to merge a lot” (go after speed- ers) on Dollarton Highway and the Mount Seymour Parkway. Steinhauser said it was time for a change and had hoped to be transferred = tos the Okanagan area. He was given a list of 25 places with no Okanagan RCMP places avail- able and “Prince George was the best of the bunch.” With Steinhauser riding out of town in May, one for- mer North Yan traffic section officer remarked, “there goes our stats.” Steinhauser wants to know who said that. 985-6237 or 831-7299 technician. 1405 Pemberton Ave., North Vancouver NORTH Vancouver RCMP Const. Al Steinhauser has written trattic tickets in five years. Steinhauser heads to Prince George RCMP in May. wenonesrayge a www.ola.bc.ca/knowledge NEWS photo Mike Wakefield more than 18,000 THE WEEKEND ALTERNATIVE: Culture without commericals. 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