Letter: Why No Radar for Local Police?

To the editor:

After much observation and many demonstrations along Main Street, Hellertown, I am convinced that local police in Pennsylvania need legal empowerment by the state legislature to use radar to control speeding vehicles of all sorts.

It took much work to get the speed limit lowered to 30mph on Route 412 in the borough, despite councilman Richard Staffieri's public statement, "You're just spinning your wheels, Weidner, if you expect that to happen," several years ago.

That's exactly the point. I'd like the spinning of motorists' wheels to decrease in order to abide by the posted signage. Hellertown Police have done a magnificent job in calming traffic on Easton Road by the outdated method. Imagine what could be possible on Main Street with radar.

Public safety would be improved, including vehicular traffic and pedestrians' crossings, by the issuance of tickets. Drivers must be hit in the wallet. Anyone who says that police would take advantage of radar to write more tickets just for money is a fool. By saying that, one implies that he has no trust in officers' honesty.

I trust Hellertown Police, but I do not trust the motorists who drive through town using Main Street as a speedway. These are the Main offenders: LANTA buses, school buses, especially those not from Saucon Valley School District, independent garbage trucks, truckers carrying cement or other heavy materials, "souped up" pickup trucks, motorcycles, fancy sportscars, muscle cars and drivers with no respect for the law or personal responsibility.

I doubt that any Hellertown citizen has spent more time observing Main Street traffic than this writer has. Of course, certain citizens would criticize me by stating, "He's only a renter and pays no taxes." These people are also fools and are accustomed to placing their feet into their mouths.

If the reader has any doubt, I suggest that he or she stand on any of the four corners of the intersection of Main Street and Thomas Avenue to observe for a few hours every day during the next week, no matter what season. Thank you ahead of time if you dare.

Lee Weidner

Hellertown