Police say radar patrol is not ‘speed trap’

Although the public has coined radar patrol as “speed traps,” Bloomington Police Department Capt. Joe Qualters said he’s not a fan of that term because it has a negative connotation.

“We’re more purpose-driven than income-driven,” Qualters said. “If we set up a radar patrol, it’s because we’ve received complaints from citizens or in areas that warrant it, like school zones.”

Websites such as www.trapster.com provide forums for people to post locations where they spot police officers using radar patrol. However, Qualters disagrees with the purpose of these websites because they lack reliability.

“As a motorist, I don’t know that they are accurate, but as a law enforcement officer, I can tell you we try to change tactics and locations,” Qualters said.

However, Indiana State Police Sgt. Curt Durnil said he believes these websites encourage drivers to follow the speed limit in these areas.

“We have no problem with these websites,” Durnil said. “They actually encourage motorists to voluntarily comply with the posted speed limits, which makes our roads safer and our jobs easier.”

Police officers use radar patrol to monitor speed in areas with known problems. The public sees this as an opportunity for law enforcement to distribute tickets at will.

“A trap would indicate that one is enticed or lured into doing something that is illegal and then punished for it,” Durnil said. “That’s not what we do.”

Capt. Ken Barnes of the Monroe County Sheriff’s office said the purpose of a radar patrol is to force people to slow down.

“It’s pretty efficient,” said Freshman, Marisa Muma. “It’s good for a lot of things because some people go 90 on highways, and that’s where most accidents happen.”

BPD reported an average of 12.6 traffic citations per day in 2009. Speeding tickets are just one of several different traffic-related citations.

The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute reported 100,213 speeding citations for the state of Indiana between Oct. 1, 2008 and Sept. 30, 2009, according to its 2009 annual report.

“We know that no one wants a ticket,” Durnil said. “However, we have been sworn to do a job, and a part of that job is to enforce the traffic laws in the State of Indiana.”