Speed Entrapment
I’m writing because I am disturbed by a current practice of the University Police Department. Nearly every morning at 9:30, I observe an officer clocking speeders in the school zone at 1000N and 1200E. By this time, both the Edith Bowen (8:30) and Hillcrest (9:10) schools have started classes and the crossing guard has long abandoned her post. All that remains are the flashing yellow lights and the police officer. From my observations, the officer has been quite successful at writing tickets in this situation. While I haven’t received a ticket of my own, I find myself questioning the ethics behind clocking speeders in an empty school zone, and then switching off the yellow lights when finished to go find prey elsewhere. Calling it entrapment is a stretch, but where should it end? Why not repeat this activity on Saturday mornings or on any given summer day when school is out? What would the public think? Why not hire a school bus to park by the side of the road too, and randomly flip the red flashing lights on and off while the police carefully observe the on-comming traffic? I don’t see the difference.
Don’t get me wrong. I have a child of my own in school, and I certainly hope that traffic slows for her. I think the University Police is staffed by fine men and women who want to do a good job serving and protecting the students and employees of USU. However, I think their attempts to punish people for exceeding 20 mph in a bogus school zone where no students exist is misguided. In my opinion, the danger of the ensuing “hot-pursuit” is greater than that of a driver not slowing down for a phantom student in a crosswalk (I’ve witnessed the officer traveling twice the normal posted speed limit, THROUGH THE MAKE BELIEVE SCHOOL ZONE, when in pursuit!). A ticket will cost the unlucky driver $168.75 just for driving the posted speed limit of 30 mph (not to mention increased insurance premiums). I hope the generation of revenue isn’t the underlying motive here.
Jason Woodenjasonw@cc.usu.edu529-35-6798days: 797-4413eves: 752-8225