Traffic Enforcement

Traffic Enforcement and Jurisdiction

Traffic enforcement plays a vital role in the safety of our community; while all officers enforce traffic laws there is often a need for a more directed enforcement approach. We can mobilize our staff to address such issues as speeding or seat belt usage. Traffic enforcement also plays an important role in the overall goal of our department to reduce crime. 

To put it simply, criminals will avoid areas where they feel the police are always pulling people over. Traffic stops result in much more than just tickets. Officers routinely arrest wanted persons, find illegal substances and stolen property, and locate and identify people that have come to our community to commit crimes.

We utilize in-car radar, hand-held radar, and LIDAR (Laser) for speed enforcement. Our officers perform traffic enforcement from police vehicles, bicycles, and on foot.

Often times we are asked about the jurisdiction of our officers in regard to traffic enforcement. Under current Texas law municipal police officers have authority to enforce the transportation (traffic) code in the county the municipality is located in. Since the City of Lytle is in three counties (Atascosa, Bexar, and Medina) our officers may issue citations anywhere in those three counties. Citations for offenses that occurred outside our city must be filed with the appropriate municipal or justice of the peace court.