Is it legal for motor officers to use private property when using radar detectors?

Q Larry Markham of Temecula asked if it’s legal for motor officers to use private property when they clock street speeds of passing drivers using radar, or if police are required by law to be located within the public road spaces when using radar to clock speeds on public streets.

A It is legal. There is no law on the books in California which prohibits officers from being on private property under these circumstances, said Detective Greg Matthews, a traffic expert with the Riverside Police Department. Matthews said officers primarily park in driveways so they are in an area where it’s safer for them to operate and where they are out of the way of traffic. Certainly, Matthews acknowledged, with the officer in a driveway, it may be more difficult for a speeding driver to notice the officer.

If a private property owner tells the officer that they would rather the officer not park there, the officer will move, Matthews said. However, he added that many business and residential property owners have thanked Riverside’s officers for parking in their driveways because they welcome any efforts to slow traffic on their streets. Matthews said in an email, “For those property owners who have requested we not use their driveways (I was asked many years ago not to park in their driveway by a certain church which didn’t want to be known as ‘that church where the police officer works RADAR every morning’), we find another location to park.” Q Earlier this month, according to Andrew Holm of Rialto, Krails went up along Riverside Avenue south of the 10 Freeway. “One lane each direction was taken away on this heavily traveled road. I haven’t seen any posting regarding how long the work will take and what is being done,” Holm said. He asked for any information we could provide.

A The city of Rialto has started the Riverside Avenue South Street Reconstruction Project, which is described at this link on the city’s website: https://www.yourrialto.com/727/riverside-avenue-south-street-reconstrucproject.

The city will begin to overlay and reconstruct Riverside Avenue South between the 10 Freeway and the Santa Ana River. The work is expected to continue through January 2023 (the schedule can change, however, depending on weather and the availability of materials). The city says at least one lane in each direction on Riverside Avenue will be open at all times. Motorists should know that there will be concrete barriers and traffic cones up to separate work areas from traffic, and possible delays. It’s best to use an alternate route during this construction period if you work in that area, and drive with extra caution. Some minor work will be done during the day but most will be done overnight, from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. Visit the website for weekly traffic alerts, call the project hotline at 909202-4553, or text RIVERSIDESOUTH to 22828 for updates.

The scope of the project includes rebuilding Riverside Avenue between the 10 and the Santa Ana River; upgrading existing and building new Adacompliant curb ramps; rebuilding sidewalks, driveways, curbs and gutters; and work to adjust underground utilities. The project also includes improving several signals at intersections and improving or reconstructing parts of other streets in the immediate area.

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