Fayetteville, N.C. — Vehicle accidents dropped by more than 5 percent in Fayetteville last year as the police department focused on trying to cut the number of wrecks, police said Friday.

In 2007, 12,524 crashes were reported in the city, down from 13,266 the previous year. Fatalities in wrecks fell from 34 to 26 during the period.

Coincidentally, the number of traffic citations issued by Fayetteville officers jumped 35 percent last year, from 32,250 to 43, 597.

“I am very proud of the hard work and dedication of our officers. They took the challenge presented to them and exceeded our goals,”  Police Chief Tom Bergamine said in a statement. “We will continue our enforcement efforts throughout the city.”

Bergamine credited several programs for the drop in wrecks and fatalities:

• A dedicated focus on major roadways.

• The Safety Over Speed Coalition, or S.O.S., which brought together representatives from across the city to promote traffic safety and encourage citizens to slow down.

• The IDLE (I Drive the Limit Everywhere) program, which encourages citizens to sign a pledge promising to always drive the speed limit.

• The implementation of the Civilian Crash Investigators last April. The group assisted the Traffic Unit and patrol officers by investigating 22 percent of reported crashes through the end of the year.

• Expanding the FOCUS (Focus On Crime Using Statistics) process.

• Public education through safety classes on Fort Bragg and throughout the city.