A recent familiar sight ISP Trooper Jon Watson posed recently with one of several Harley-Davidson motorcycles used in ISP motor patrol blitzes across the state. Trooper Bart Stouffer used a similar cycle to patrol Delphi and the surrounding community in a traffic safety measure funded by a federal grant. Photo provided Delphi residents, as well as motorists passing through the county seat, experienced increased police patrols in the past two weeks. Not only have the Indiana State Police targeted the Delphi area to monitor and respond to traffic violations, but the city police wrote more than 23 valid parking tickets, based on city ordinance 1873, which prohibits parking a vehicle on a street against traffic, last Thursday morning as part of a training exercise. According to published police activity reports for 2009, 10 parking tickets had been issued until Thursday.

ISP Lt. Jay Kistler, who lives in Carroll County and operates a motor patrol unit from the Indianapolis post, said Monday the trooper on the Harley-Davidson was performing a 20-hour seat belt blitz. The measure was funded by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute. Kistler said 20 counties across the state were targeted for the blitz, chosen based on the number of unrestrained incident injuries reported and rural population.

Kistler said his motorcycle squad was given 50 hours of funding for the blitz. The Lafayette Post used 30 of those, which left Kistler with 20. He chose to use them in Carroll County.

"I'm pretty proud of my motorcycle squad," he said. "This funding is from a federal Rural Demonstration Project."

Kistler said Trooper Bart Stouffer wrote 55 citations, including 38 for seat belt violations, during 18 hours of service. He said local law enforcement agencies, such as the Delphi Police Department and the Carroll County Sheriff's Department are entitled for like-funding through an application process.

Carroll County Sheriff Tony Burns said Monday that although he was not aware of the ISP blitz before it began, he supported the action. He said most crashes and injuries are caused by driver error.

"Anytime any law enforcement agency focuses on traffic safety, it is a good thing," he said Monday.

Delphi Police Chief Justin Darling said Friday a Flora police officer, who works part-time for the Delphi department when needed, provided the Thursday early-morning training. He explained Flora strictly enforces all parking ordinances and the training officer provided like training to the newest Delphi officer.

"This emphasizes the differences in our community standards," Darling said. "We in Delphi will be reviewing our parking ordinance enforcement policy to determine if a change is warranted."