When you drive along the city streets, most of us pay attention to the posted speed limit. We know it's the law and police just might be running radar in city limits, so we watch our speed. However if you travel just a few miles north of any of our cities, the various sheriff departments cannot run radar.
Each year all of the sheriffs on the coast ask the state legislature to pass a law allowing their deputies to run radar. But each year the idea never gets passed. Why can police use radar to control speed on city streets, but county law enforcers can not?
Since Hurricane Katrina, there has been an explosion of growth in our counties. It appears that growth will continue in the coming years. It seems logical that with this growth, sheriff deputies would need radar in order to keep our county roads safe.
For many years we have heard the argument that some sheriffs' departments would set up speed traps to gain added revenue and this was a reason the radar bill always dies. We doubt that speed trap scenario will happen, and if it did, then because the sheriffs are elected, you always have the option of voting them out of office.
In 2012 the state legislature needs to pass the bill allowing county sheriff officers to run radar.Slowing down speeders will save lives.
Our hope is that each one of you will have a happy, safe and prosperous 2012. That's our opinion, we would like to hear yours. Email your thoughts to editorials@wlox.com, or post your comments below.
David Vincent
WLOX-TV General Manager
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