About the Traffic Bureau
The Hawthorne Police Department’s Traffic Bureau is responsible for the safety of all users of roadways within the city. This includes motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. This bureau documents traffic collisions, investigates crimes related to motor vehicle accidents (DUI’s, hit and runs), and assists with traffic flow issues during special events within the city (parades, car shows, etc.).

Meeting these responsibilities requires the enforcement of both traffic and parking regulations. This task is accomplished through education and enforcement operations, and by cooperating with other city, state, and private agencies.

To help achieve these goals, the Traffic Bureau utilizes a variety of tools including mobile speed detection trailers, handheld laser speed guns, three parking control scooters, three parking control pickup trucks, six police motorcycles, a traffic enforcement police car, and a DUI / Driver’s License Checkpoint trailer.

The Traffic Bureau also utilizes additional resources through regional networking and local agency partnerships. Traffic Bureau personnel participate in the South Bay DUI Task Force. This task force is comprised of police officers and deputies from South Bay cities, who band together several times during the year to apprehend intoxicated motorists through checkpoints and mobile patrols. This partnership includes the law enforcement agencies of El Camino College, El Segundo, Gardena, Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Inglewood, Los Angeles County Sheriffs (Lennox and Lawndale), Manhattan Beach, Palos Verdes Estates, Redondo Beach, Torrance, and the California Highway Patrol.

Another operational tool used by the Traffic Bureau are Driver’s License Checkpoints. These are conducted at various locations throughout the city in order to remove unlicensed drivers and drivers with suspended or revoked driver’s licenses from the roadway. State law authorizes a law enforcement officer to impound any vehicle driven by an unlicensed driver, or a driver who has a suspended or revoked license for a 30 day period. The driver may be arrested or cited for the appropriate offense.

The Red Light Camera Enforcement Program is another safety program in effect at various locations in the city. The Traffic Bureau oversees this program, in which violators of red light infractions are identified by a photograph taken at the time of the offense. The still photographs are accompanied by on-line streaming video feeds, that allow Traffic Bureau officers to review the incident in it’s entirety. When the reviewing officer forms the opinion that a red light violation occurred, a citation is mailed to the offender. Individuals who receive these citations in the mail, who have internet access, are also able to review the incidents in their entirety by logging onto a specific website. The instructions on how to accomplish this are listed on the citation form itself. Individuals are only able to review their own incidents on-line, for security issues.

The Traffic Bureau is currently staffed with one sergeant, one accident investigator, and five motorcycle officers. These sworn officers are supported by the efforts of one Traffic Service Specialist and ten Parking Enforcement Officers. In 2005, there were 278 documented injury traffic accidents, and 349 documented non-injury traffic accidents. Two of the accidents resulted in a death. 222 of the documented accidents were hit and runs. 15,578 moving violations were issued along with 35,391 parking citations. 275 arrests of DUI drivers also occurred.

Citation Sign-off
All citations that are eligible for dismissal will require a processing fee as follows:

Citation sign-off will be conducted during the Traffic Bureau's business hours. All fees are to be paid at the Police Department Traffic Bureau at the time of the request.

Hours of Operation, Phone Numbers, and Addresses

Traffic Bureau
The Hawthorne Police Department Traffic Bureau is open Monday through Friday except Holidays) from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It is located at:

12501 S. Hawthorne Blvd
Hawthorne, California 90250 Click here for a map

The phone number to the Traffic Bureau is (310) 349-2701.

Impounded Vehicle Release Information
If your car has been impounded, and during the impound period you find a need to remove personal items from the car, you must obtain a property release form from the Traffic Bureau. Property release forms are only issued to the REGISTERED OWNER of the vehicle. You must have valid government identification to obtain a property release form.

To obtain a release for a vehicle after a 30-day impound, the registered owner must present the following to the Traffic Bureau:

Valid Identification

Current Registration for the vehicle

Proof of Current Insurance on the vehicle

In addition, if the vehicle has any outstanding unpaid parking citations, the car will not be released until those fees are paid in full.

California Vehicle Code section 22852 states, “Whenever an authorized member of a public agency directs the storage of a vehicle, as permitted by this chapter, or upon the storage of a vehicle as permitted under this section (except as provided in subdivision (f) or (g)), the agency or person directing the storage shall provide the vehicle’s registered and legal owners of record, or their agents, with the opportunity for a poststorage hearing to determine the validity of the storage.” If you are the vehicle’s registered owner or legal owner of record, and would like to schedule a post storage hearing, please contact the Traffic Bureau at (310) 349-2701.

Application for Extended Parking of Large Motor Vehicles
The following link is a fillable pdf form; Extended Parking Form