Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
PA LEGISLATORS AGAIN CONSIDER ALLOWING MUNICIPALITIES TO USE SPEED RADAR GUNS
HARRISBURG >> Pennsylvania lawmakers are once again mulling over whether to allow local police departments to use radar guns to nab speeders.
Legislation sponsored by state Sen. Greg Rothman, R34th Dist., permitting local police in Pennsylvania to use radar for speed enforcement was approved unanimously today by the Senate Transportation Committee. Pennsylvania is the only state in the country that prohibits local police from being equipped with speed-enforcement radar.
“We know that most crash fatalities are the result of excessive speed, with many of those deaths occurring on local roads where we live,” Rothman said. “Our police officers do everything possible to keep our communities safe, but they do not have all the tools they need to do the job effectively.”
Borough of Kennett Square Police Chief William Holdsworth said he backs the proposal to allow local police to use radar guns.
“Any method we can use that we can prove statistically is accurate is beneficial to reducing speeding, which is a huge problem in Pennsylvania,” the chief said.
Lt. Josh Lee of the West Chester Police Department also supports municipal radar use.
“Radar has proven to be the most accurate of the speed timing devices and would be a valuable tool to reduce speed related traffic fatalities and increase highway safety,” Lee said.
East Bradford resident Steve Cottrel said the suggested use is OK with him.
“It’s no problem,” he said, “as long as it’s not entrapment.
“I don’t speed and it doesn’t bother me.”
Senate Bill 459 would permit local radar as an optional speed enforcement tool for municipalities, who would need to enact an ordinance prior to deploying its use. The bill also has built-in
protections to ensure radar will not be misused for revenue generation and includes other good-government safeguards, such as:
Revenue collected through local radar speed enforcement may not exceed the previous year’s speed enforcement revenue by more than 1%.
Municipalities that choose to adopt local radar must install clearly posted signage advertising the use of radar and give drivers a 90-day grace period.
Local police officers would be required to complete a training course before use.
Radar may only be used when an officer is in or adjacent to a clearly marked law enforcement vehicle.
No citation may be issued unless the driver is exceeding the posted speed limit by 10 mph or more.
Local radar citations may not result in the issuance of points.
“Law enforcement is under more pressure than ever, and we owe it to (police) to give them the tools they are asking for,” Rothman said. “It’s time for state government to empower them by joining every other state in the nation in allowing them to use radar.”
Delores Higgins of East Goshen suggested an alternative.
“I think it would be better if we had cameras rather than radar guns,” Higgins said. “The officers can’t be everywhere, but cameras can.”
Senate Bill 459 is supported by organizations such as the Pennsylvania Municipal League, the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, the Fraternal Order of Police Pennsylvania State Lodge, the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association, the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs, the Pennsylvania Association of Township Commissioners, the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors and the Pennsylvania State Mayors’ Association.
SB 459 unanimously passed the Senate Transportation Committee on March 1. It now goes to the Senate floor for consideration before the full Senate.
It is similar to SB419, which passed the Senate last session 49-1. It then went to the House Transportation Committee where it did not move forward and died in committee.