Under the gun
By John Joyce
Published in News on May 13, 2014 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/JOHN JOYCE
Specialized Traffic Enforcement Unit officer Jay Holland uses a hand-held Light Detection and Ranging gun to measure the speed of oncoming vehicles on East Ash Street as part of Goldsboro police's anti-speeding effort.
By the time a motorist sees them, it is too late.
The radar has been locked in.
Blue lights are flashing.
Traffic is parting.
And coming up from behind is a Goldsboro police officer.
Over the two-week period that began April 28, officers with the Goldsboro Police Department's Specialized Traffic Enforcement Unit have issued 488 charges.
Operation Safe Speeds is posting results.
Police cars equipped with forward- and rear-facing radars are hitting the streets to crack down on speeders along the city's busiest corridors.
"On Ash Street, between Jefferson Street and the Spence Avenue, Berkeley Boulevard area seemed to be the heaviest areas," Maj. Mike West said.
Another is along Ash Street in the school zones near Meadow Lane Elementary and Greenwood Middle School.
In addition to 168 speeding citations issued the first week and 177 in the second, a total of 15 seat belt violations and six child restraint violations have been issued.
Traffic violations totaled 116.
Other charges included two misdemeanor drug charges and two non-drug-related misdemeanors.
"The hours the operation were from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday," West said.
He might have used the word, "were," but Operation Safe Speeds is by no means over.
Goldsboro police Chief Jeff Stewart said the operation is intended to reduce crashes and road fatalities.
"This is to save lives -- to stop people from speeding and to stop people texting and driving," he said.
In the coming weeks, the police will place the speed trailer, the big digital display that flashes drivers' speeds as they pass by -- in red if above the limit -- in the community.
GPD uses the trailer to measure where the high traffic areas are as far as speeding goes.
This time, hopefully, the trailer will show a reduction in those numbers, Stewart said.
In the meantime, buckle up, hang it up and slow it down.
The Specialized Traffic Enforcement Unit will be watching.