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SFPD Issue Fewer Tickets For Moving Violations As Budget Tightens

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5) - Drivers in San Francisco seem to be getting more leeway from the laws as police dish out fewer tickets for moving violations.

While officers say the streets are safer, there is another reason the citation numbers are down about 18% – the shrinking budget has reduced the number of officers handing out tickets.

In the first five months of 2010, officers wrote more than 63,000 tickets. The number was just 52,000 in the same period this year.

Drivers adjusting to red light cameras at high-profile intersections may be partially responsible for the drop, but citations for using a phone behind the wheel are also down, and that is likely tied to the decrease in motorcycle patrols.

Funding for traffic cops isn't likely to get better in the near future.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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