Bud Lowell
ROCHESTER, NY (2009-04-01) Rochester Police have begun targeting selected parts of the city for intensive traffic enforcement. Police Chief David Moore says it's the next step up from the department's Zero Tolerance program, and it has two purposes: to prevent car crashes and to catch more of the people who carry illegal guns.

Rochester is one of seven cities chosen by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to test a program called DDACTS -- for Data Driven Approaches to Crime and Traffic Safety.

Monroe County's Crime Analysis Center has identified two parts of Rochester -- one on the east side and one on the west -- that have the highest combined levels of both gun violence and traffic accidents. Police are directing more traffic patrols into those areas. They'll be making more traffic stops to catch reckless drivers -- and at the same give officers more chances to search stopped cars for illegal weapons.

Chief Moore says the hope is that fewer people will feel comfortable driving around with guns, and that will mean fewer opportunities for drive-by shootings and other gun crimes.

The federal and state governments will support the program with data analysis, equipment and funding to cover police overtime...

Chris Delaney -- the department's chief data analyst -- says both areas have had about 70 percent more gun violence than the city average over the last five years. They've also had ten to 12 percent more car crashes.

Tom Louiziou of NHTSA says Rochester was picked because it's a mid-sized city with a good crime analysis center.