Certain Gwinnett County motorists who customarily have a heavy foot on the throttle and pay close attention to the news might have been a bit emboldened by recent stories concerning budget cuts and revenue sharing between the county and the cities it services.
Specifically, they may have noted this: Police officers from many jurisdictions within the county lost their ability - at least temporarily - to use radar to monitor speeding drivers. Recent disagreements between municipalities and the county regarding how to precisely share tax revenues and apportion services have led to a number of cities within the county being unable to renew their radar permits thus far in 2011.
If that conjures up images of a rash of aggressive and reckless driving on local roadways, the Gwinnett County sheriff says not to worry: His department is not a party to the dispute and can continue to use radar, and he is quite willing to have his deputies lend a hand in radar-less communities to help catch speeders.
"This is really a win-win for everyone involved," says Sheriff Butch Conway, "except those who persist in speeding and being a danger on our roads."
Duluth police Maj. Don Woodruff agrees heartily with that assessment, noting that police officers do not want any motorists to perceive a lack of enforcement capabilities.
Woodruff's department works in tandem with county deputies using radar, taking their lead. "If one police officer tells another police officer someone violated the law," he says, "they can use that as probable cause and make a stop."
Related Resource: www.wsbtv.com "Gwinnett Police Find Loophole to Radar Gun Ban" February 24, 2011
