Pierce County sites just south of downtown Seattle, Washington. There, the sheriff’s office just openly acknowledged what many drivers have already figured out. These days, traffic laws aren’t really being enforced.
The warning came during a roundtable on road safety where county leaders were told that enforcement has dwindled to almost nothing because of deep staffing shortages.
Sgt. Shaun Darby, who heads the sheriff’s traffic unit, explained that the Seattle-area department shrank to just seven deputies
That unit once had 18.
Most of those still on duty are tied up with crash investigations instead of pulling over reckless drivers. Darby said drivers know enforcement is scarce and take full advantage, speeding freely through unincorporated stretches of Pierce County.
The results have been severe
County data shows nearly double the number of fatal or serious crashes in 2023 compared to 2018…