POLICE TAKE NEW APPROACH TO SPEEDING

Cape Girardeau police have stepped up efforts to deter speeding in the city by increasing their visibility.

Over the weekend, the department's SMART trailer was situated on William Street. The Speed Monitoring Awareness Radar Trailer shows motorists how fast they are driving. It also displays the legal speed limit.

Cape Girardeau traffic division director Sgt. J.R. Davis said the police department has used the SMART trailer for several years. It is used throughout the city in response to complaints or in areas where accidents frequently occur.

Davis said the trailer was positioned along William Street to encourage holiday shoppers to take care while driving.

"Everyone is in a rush at this time of year Christmas shopping and all," Davis said. "This is a way to heighten motorists' awareness of how fast they are going."

Occasionally, an officer will set up radar just past the SMART trailer and ticket speeders.

The trailer has an onboard computer, which logs the number of motorists it clocks and how many were speeding. It is able to videotaping motorists, but police don't have a video camera in use.

In addition to the SMART trailer, police have begun a program allowing officers to take home marked cars.

Davis said the program will take at least three years to fully implement, but a few officers already have assigned vehicles they take home at the end of a shift.

These vehicles are parked on streets, adding to police visibility in neighborhoods.

"We have more police vehicles moving around during the day," Davis said, "and an officer can enforce traffic laws on the way to and from work."

Among high-visibility areas where marked cars are being parked is the Missouri Veterans Home lot on Kingshighway near Interstate 55.

Often the car is empty, but it is available for an officer to use who lives closer to the Veterans Home than the police station.

Occasionally, an officer works radar from that car.

"You just never know," Davis said, "and you don't know. We might be set up just over the crest of the hill."

Davis said, "At this time of year, traffic safety is particularly important. We have increased traffic in the city and everyone is in a hurry."

He added that the holidays also bring an increased emphasis on curbing drunk driving.

This weekend, police plan to set up checkpoints.