El Paso deputies issue 265 citations during ‘Operation Slow Down’ on Transmountain Road

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The El Paso County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday announced it executed "Operation Slow Down" to reduce dangerous driving on Transmountain Road.

EPCSO said the operation lasted six days and involved highly-visible law enforcement presence.

Within six days, deputies did 292 traffic stops. On average, deputies did 48 traffic stops and gave 44 citations a day, according to the sheriff's office.

At the end of the operation, the sheriff's office issued 265 citations and warnings:

• 204 speeding citations
• 27 citations for no insurance
• 16 driver's license violation citations
• 12 registration violation citations
• 2 citations for failing to exit a lane for an emergency vehicle
• 1 citation for an unrestrained child
• 2 possession of THC/marijuana reports
• 2 traffic warrant referrals to Justice of the Peace Precinct 7
• 77 written warnings

"Our goal is not to issue citations, it's to save lives," Sheriff Oscar Ugarte said in a statement. "When drivers see deputies out enforcing traffic laws, they're reminded to slow down and make safer choices behind the wheel."

Additionally, EPCSO didn't report any crashes in the area during the six-day period.

ABC-7 spoke to Emmanuel Soria, the Chief Deputy with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office. Soria said the main goal of the operation is to target speeders. The office received complaints about reckless drivers on Transmountain and wanted to target them.

"The whole concept is presence," said Soria. "It's unfortunate that we have to have six patrol cars lined up on Transmountain in order for people to see that."

Soria says they will hear complaints from residents about speeders and reckless drivers on state and county roads and try to have a presence there.

"Our conclusion based on this operation is that it's evident when patrol cars are visibile, peole will tend to abide by the speed limit," said Soria. "But we don't want it just to happen only because we're there. We would like the community to help us patrol themselves."

ABC-7 will have a full story on Operation Slow Down tonight on ABC-7 at 10.