Law enforcement officials say new reporting forms will provide amore thorough accounting of automobile crashes, but someauthorities expressed a concern about the amount of time thepaperwork will take to complete.

Agencies have been using the new Uniform Crash Reports sinceJanuary 1, said Lt. Joe Portrey, traffic division officer for theBrookhaven Police Department. Portrey said the change to newreporting form was spearheaded by the Department of Public Safetyand the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT).

“It assists them in assessing vehicle crashes and how to preventfuture crashes,” Portrey said.

Warren Strain, spokesman for the state Department of PublicSafety, said the new forms had been in development for some time.He said the goal was to collect pertinent information regardingparticular behavior or patterns of crashes.

“That’s what we’re trying to do with that, to better policeroads and highways,” Strain said.

Under the old form, Portrey said a two-vehicle accident wouldrequire completing a one-page accident report. The new form is sixpages.

“This report has the same information, but they’ve expanded it,too,” Portrey said.

Among the new information is the accident’s Global PositioningSystem location. Portrey said law enforcement vehicles have beenequipped with GPS equipment donated by MDOT.

“We have a GPS for every patrol car we run,” said Portrey,adding that the GPS information will allow transportation officialsto study particular areas for potential crash causes.

Previously, Portrey said the area provided for an officer todiagram an accident was only a small portion of the old form. Thenew form contains a full page for a diagram and narrative on theaccident.

“It’s giving the officer a lot more space to do a more thoroughreport,” Portrey said.

Contributing factors are now more defined. The old form included16 possible factors whereas the new one has 27.

One factor not included on the new form is inattention. Portreysaid a lot of officers were marking that option when completing theold report.

“Now, officers have to make a determination on what thecontributing factors were,” Portrey said.

Portrey acknowledged that completing the new forms will be moretime-consuming. He said he could complete the old form in about 10minutes whereas the new form can take 30 minutes or more.

“It will take more time until they get used to it,” Portreysaid.

Lincoln County Sheriff Wiley Calcote saw merit in the new forms,but also admitted to concerns about the time factor involved.

“It makes it rough on my men,” said Calcote, estimating it willtake 25 minutes or more to complete the document.

Calcote said he would like to see a shorter form developed forincidents like cars hitting deer. He said that option is currentlynot available and deputies have to complete the longer forms.

“Whether it’s (hitting) a deer or whatever, they’ve got to gothrough that form,” Calcote said.

Strain attributed the time factor concerns to the newness of theforms.

“Any time you change from one method to another method, there’sa little bit of confusion…,” Strain said, adding that the newforms are better for everyone and will be a positive change in thelong run. “Once they get comfortable with it and familiar with it,it should allow the process to go faster.”

For motorists involved in accidents, there likely will be a costfactor.

Police Chief Pap Henderson announced last week that hisdepartment would be charging $10 for a copy of the crash report. Hecited costs of copying the six-page document.

Calcote said his department is currently not charging, butlikely will have to start in the future.

“We have to start charging because of the amount of time beingtaken,” said Calcote, who also mentioned the copying expenseinvolved.