The Observation Deck

I generally notice that Lakewood's radar appears on Sloan, Clifton, Detroit. While I am sure this is good for keeping pesky speeders down, and getting a couple shekels into the budget, it sells the city short.

So once again I ask, why can;t we have proper speed-traps on I-90 like Rocky River?

Seems like a great way to make money, keep the fuel injectors clean, build the Lakewood brand for being tough on crime, etc.

I would prefer a proper speed trap, three cars, radar on the overpass. Pull them over while asking, "Excuse me Mr. Bay Village why are you in such a hurry to get home? You going to speed the whole 20 minute ride? Well sit tight while I write this ticket and give your car a safety inspection."

While residents would get "Mr. Endress, why the hurry? We would hate to loose a good resident like you. Now I am just going to give you a warning, so slow it down, and thank you for living in Lakewood."

Even if it is not legal, let's take it to court, great brand builder.


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Jim

I hope you're not implying that I operate my vehicle at a speed greater than the posted limit? Why, I doubt that the wagon would go over 65, even if pushed going downhill. I've changed since my high school days.

Jeff

Jim I can assure you, through personal experience, they don't give warnings to Lakewood residents.

As you know I don't drive much but I had to pick up some stuff from my daughter's softball coach last Friday. On the way home I was pulled over by one of Lakewood's finest, who said I had run the stop sign at Edanola and Sloane. She was waiting for speeders there I presume.

I don't run stop signs. She acknowledged that I had pretty much stopped but said I had “failed to come to a complete stopâ€Â

It is an interesting phenomena......More times than not, we see "targeted enforcement" in areas more likely to have traffic made up of predominately Lakewoodites, simply running their errands.....Sloan is a favorite, Riverside Dr., various school zones....I'm certainly NOT advocating that the speed laws go unenforced, but why a speed trap on Riverside at 10 am Saturday, and absolutely NO presence on Lake, Clifton, I 90 during the morning rush hours?

If enforcement is the issue, doesn't it make sense to pick the areas and times most likely to have violators? This may, or may not, "nab" more people passing through than citizens. That isn't really the issue. It really is an issue of targeting enforcement in areas where violations occur (and hence safety is a factor). But, as an aside, a speed trap at McKinley is not likely to catch many Lakewoodites.

Jeff

Jeff

I think it would be intersting for the city of Lakewood to work I-90 for one solid week. Really put the hammer down on those speeders blasting through Lakewood, and see what it ads to the revenue stream.

It worked wonders for Linndale for decades. Even after it was stopped.

It is all building the brand and the $$$$.


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I couldn't agree more. East bound trap, working off Mckinley in the morning.....Westbound trap working off W 117 in the pm. 4-5 hours per day, use the motorcycles, and see what the revenue is. But take it a step further:
Transfer the whole operation down to the Clifton Bridge at Lake for a week..
Then down to Lake and Edwards in the am, and Lake and Nicholson in the pm

then see what the take is.....

Jeff

Yes put speed traps on I-90 and Lake Road, I am all for that, but I would also love to see more speed traps for some of our fine citizens. My little street of ten houses has quite a rush hour. For some unknown reason people think its okay to drive 40 mph down a residential street with 12 inch tree lawns with numerous children playing out front. I do think that there are a lot of courteous citizens in Lakewood but there are also a fair few that deserve a few speeding tickets. I really think that we should have a roving speed trap car. If you never know where the police car will be perhaps you will slow down a bit. Just my two cents as a mother who is tired of speeders.

I wonder if we can have one of the officers of LPD make a comment on the LO forum, on the department's way of where and why they assign a car to do traffic?

I agree that our strip of I-90 could be a goldmine for our city, rather than an empty street at 2am weeknight for a not quite a total stop as was mentioined.

Mark

Tim,
If your insurance company charges you a thousand dollars over 3 years for one moving violation please give me a call. I'd be happy to give you a second opinion.
Shawn

Although I have been retired from LPD for a few years now, I can offer some info on this subject as I supervised the unit that "targeted" specific violations. This targeting occasaionally covered speed enforcement.

Please keep in mind that I am relating info from a few years ago, but I know most of these tactics are still being used.

Speed enforcement by laser is used on I-90 sporadically. The following reasons applied years ago and I would imagine they are even more valid today. The most effecient method is using several catch cars while one officer locks in the speed. Generally speaking, the most cars on the road at any one time would be eight. During the hours where the higher % of calls come in, there may be two or three more. Obviously when the extra cars are on the road it is because they are needed for the increased demand.

Lakewood has a very small portion of I-90. Imagine a line crossing I-90 in the area of Northland and going west to the middle of the bridge crossing the river. Obviously the comment regarding catching speeders from W.117th doesn't work. McKinley is the only exit in Lakewood. Because of this, an officer making a traffic stop on I-90 will be out of the city after completing the citation. Let's say all three catch cars are completing tickets at the same time. (This often happened) Should something occur at that time, 37.5% of our officers are out of the city and need to go to the Hilliard exit in River and turn around. If they are catching EB cars, it is not unusual to pass the Warren Rd. exit in order to make a safe traffic stop. This would mean the officer has to go to at least W.117th to exit I-90. All of this can be done but I hope it explains why it needs to be done at a tiime where there is generally a low demand for police service.

Individual side streets are usually done as a result of complaints. An example would be that a resident on Nicholson complains about speeders. An officer is assigned to run radar for a short time to see if there is any validity to the complaint. If it is valid, an officer is assigned as time permits.

Lake Ave.-prior to the re-design of Lake at Webb, we often ran radar. I don't know if this is still being done. When the change was first done, there was a significant drop in the number of out-of-towners zipping along. This may have changed, I don't know. The Clifton bridge approach was also heavily enforced years ago. I also don't know how often this is being done at this time.

School zones- I don't care if you're the principal of the school, if you're going 30, take the ticket and be glad you didn't hit anyone. Most officers feel this way. You only need to respond to one kid being hit to have absolutely no compassion for the driver whose attention is wandering at that particular time.

Lastly, I will address comments regarding Sloane, Riverside, Bunts, Warren, ect...
Each shift there are usually a few officers assigned radar. This includes the m/c officers. They are expected to catch speeders IN THE TIMES THEY ARE NOT OTHERWISE BUSY". As that uncommitted time dwindles, you are more likely to go where, for lack of a better term, "easy pickins'" can be found.

When I started with LPD in 1978 we averaged around 30,000 calls per year. When I left, we were approaching 50,000 calls per year. This is being done with the same amount of officers. Now I could go into the statistical analysis of performance factors and availablibily studies but that would only bore you. I'm sure you can see there is simply not the same amount of time available for 3 or 4 cars to get together during rush hours. (Typically among the hours where there is a higher demand for service.) If there is a quiet time where little is happening, there may be radar being run on Bunts, Sloane, and Warren all at the same time. Should something happen at that time, there is an officer relatively close. If something occurs at Lakewood Park and the only three available officers are on I-90 in Rocky River, you can see how even with lights and siren activated, you are probably talking 8-10 mins response time. In that case, the 8-10 mins would seem like an hour for the person calling with an emergency. Theoretically, if the call is that a car is in the process of being stolen, the thief could be on the shoreway before we get an officer on the scene.

OK, I'm climbing off the soapbox. Sorry for the length, but I hope this is helpful in understanding some of what goes in to running an effective multi-officer speed trap.

Kevin

Thanks a ton for the clarifications.

So do ploice have to write speeding tickets?

Could we get interns to write the tickets?

Could we get interns to do other work so police could write tickets?

It pains me to see Rocky River getting our speeding money.


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Jim -

Just come right out and say it. You want red light/speeding cameras on Lakewood's major roads.

I take either Lake or Clifton home from downtown every day. I travel the distance from 117 to Webb then head south to Detroit. Drivers are crazy fast on both of those roads. Over the past two-years, I've seen police running radar from the streets just off Lake maybe five times during the afternoon rush.

I say ticket them all.

David

I do not want speedtraps on all major roads. I want an old fashion speedtrap on I-90.


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Oh, that's right. I'm the one that wants cameras on Lakewood's major roads. Easy $ and think of how much safer our streets would be. It is all about safety.

I often see RR police on their sliver of I-90 but can't remember the last time I've seen one of Lakewood's finest issuing a ticket on our stretch (maybe last year during the repaving/construction on the westbound side).

I forgot to ask whether it's possible to install permanent speed cameras on an interstate highway?