FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. -- Speeding on the installation has been a hot topic on the Fort Meade Facebook page and during Garrison Commander Col. Edward C. Rothstein's town halls. With a few more tools in their arsenal, the Directorate of Emergency Services and Picerne Military Housing are prepared to combat speeders on installation roads.
Although there are less speeding problems on post than outside the fence line, DES has equipped more patrol cars with effective radar instruments while Picerne is operating a pilot program with eight speed humps throughout Meuse Forest.
"Our speeding problem on the installation is lower than anywhere in Anne Arundel County," said Maj. J. Darrell Sides, operations officer at DES. "We'll never prevent speeding; we can only reduce it."
To curtail speeding, the DES obtained eight mobile radar units from Fort Campbell, Ky. The devices are in addition to the several already installed in traffic enforcement vehicles.
The mobile radar instruments allow driving police officers to check the speed of a vehicle. The passive system remains on at all times. And with the push of a button, the officer can track the speed of a vehicle he believes is speeding.
While traffic enforcement officers have had mobile radar in their patrol cars for several years, regular patrol officers have still been using hand-held radars, which require the officer to be parked to get an accurate reading.
With the addition of the eight instruments, DES can put the equipment in several, regular patrol cars to allow officers to track speeders while handling other tasks.
In addition to allowing moving police officers to obtain an accurate reading, some patrol cars will have dual mounted systems with radar in the front and back of the vehicle. With this technology, officers can track a car that drove past them.
"Somebody slows down when they see the cop car, but they have the tendency to speed back up after they pass the police officer," Sides said. "We'll continue to track the vehicle until it is out of sight."
Unlike active radar, the mobile radar's passive system can't be picked up by a radar detector, which is illegal on the installation. The motorist will only get a reading after he has been tracked.
"When a person's radar detector goes off, all that's telling them is that their speed has just been registered by the police car," Sides said. "It's too late. The radar detector just lets them know when they've been busted."
To further deter speeders, DES is also using radar trailers; empty, marked patrol cars; and speed tracking devices.
Fort Meade Police Lt. George Manning, DES' traffic supervisor, sets up two to four radar trailers at all times that prominently display a vehicle's speed.
"Most people are generally law-abiding citizens but get a little excessive with their right foot," Sides said. "When they're reminded of their speed, a fair amount do slow down."
Empty patrol cars are also parked around the installation to create the illusion that more officers are patrolling the streets, then later replaced with police officers conducting radar enforcement.
Another tool that Manning uses is a small device with two hoses that lay across the street. The device registers and tracks the speed of drivers. Using this information, Manning can determine where the most speeders are.
In addition to these tools, DES determines where to focus its efforts based on complaints from the community. Most complaints, Manning said, come from school zones and the residential neighborhoods.
"We increase area presence when we get certain complaints in certain areas," he said. "That's one way we use the public's comments and concerns as a way to try to deter speeding problems."
Following suggestions by residents, Picerne has taken its own steps to help deter speeding in its housing areas.
As part of a larger roadwork program, eight speed humps, also known as speed cushions, will be installed in Meuse Forest by the end of April. The speed humps will be strategically placed on straight, downhill streets -- roads conducive to speeding, said Jessie Hyder, a Picerne community builder.
"[The placements are] a combination of our team knowing the streets, and some were geared from residents," Hyder said.
Unlike narrow speed bumps, which are against Army regulations, the speed humps will not slow down emergency vehicles. Tire gaps on the humps will allow larger emergency vehicles to straddle the hump, instead of driving directly over it.
While Picerne is waiting to see how the speed humps work in Meuse Forest before installing them in other neighborhoods, the Directorate of Public Works has received recommendations about installing speed humps beyond the housing areas.
"It will deter a majority of the population," Sides said. "We will see a reduction."
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