Mar 29, 2018 3 min read

Every local police department in America has had the option of using the radar devices to combat speeding and reckless driving since their inception in 1961. That is, every local police department in every state, except for one: Pennsylvania.

For decades, local police departments here have been lobbying state lawmakers to allow them to use radar guns or similar technology on the roads. And just like the movie “Groundhog Day,” the legislation stalls each time over concerns the devices will be abused to allow police to set up “speed traps” in their local communities.

Only Pennsylvania State Police are permitted to use the technology, mostly on interstate highways.

Speed traps shouldn’t run rampant in Pennsylvania, but local police officers should have all the necessary tools to do the job. Imagine if the cop on the beat wasn’t permitted to use handcuffs.

The issue is once again back on the radar of state legislators in Pennsylvania. A bill written by Greg Rothman, a Republican state representative from Cumberland County, is snaking through Harrisburg that would allow local police departments to use radar, but with several restrictions.

First, only full-time police officers would be allowed to use it, as opposed to the many part-time officers who spend time working for multiple departments in many different communities. The bill also would expire after six years, which would allow lawmakers and police to judge for themselves whether the law is effective or needs changes.

But it could and should go even further to have a real chance at passage.

To protect motorists from abuse, radar should only be permitted on major state highways. This would protect against speed traps in tightly packed neighborhoods, but would still allow police officers to use timing devices to clock speeders, which they currently do with those white lines laid out on roads.

Radar would let police monitor heavily traveled roads, such as Route 19, which cuts through the heart of Washington County and has wide stretches of business districts. Even Route 21, which bisects Greene County, would be an ideal place for police officers to monitor, especially with the number of fatal crashes reported in recent years in Cumberland Township.

Officers from Cumberland Township police, one of only three local police departments operating in Greene County, were out monitoring speeders last week on Route 21. But the catch was they still needed the help of state police to be able to legally use radar. It seems silly that accredited police officers in Pennsylvania can’t use a tool every one of their peers in America is permitted to have.

“Perception is very important,” Cumberland Township police Chief Vogel said while watching cars speed pass Route 21 during an aggressive driving sting operation March 19. “The goal is public safety.”

That should be the goal of every police officer.

While we still have concerns about speed traps, Rothman’s bill seems to offer enough safeguards to restrain police from abusing radar. With a few more tweaks, there might be something in this bill that both police officers and motorists can agree will work for the needs of the community.