Edmond Cops Are Watching You In School Zones
Diana Baldwin’s story on the Edmond police receiving a grant from the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office to crack down on speeders in school zones has drawn readers’ comments.
Grant Zellner of Edmond said, “If safety, and safety alone was the issue, the police car would park, lights on, on the side of the road at the beginning of the school zone.”
“All the Edmond police I saw were hiding in a parking lot behind shrubs or something, just trying to pick people off. Now, I’m pleasantly surprised that they gave so many warnings, but still. I never speed, but with school zones being only 200 yards long, only in force for 2 hours in a 24-hour day during 177 of 365 days, and with some school zones being on streets where you can’t see the school at all because it’s actually a couple of blocks away, I’ve found myself speeding in school zones many times accidentally. I hope I never merit a $244 ticket,” Zellner wrote.
“I would encourage officers to be more visible, as a safety promotion, rather than looking to teach drivers a lesson. That way the kids are safe, and the officers get a better reputation in the community. Most officers have a well earned good reputation for the other stuff, and I’m very grateful for their service,” he wrote.
Grant Moser of Edmond called to share his point of view to the story. “Since a dozen extra police officers were scanning the roads near Edmond schools, they made 158 traffic stops and wrote 65 tickets. I think those tickets would more than pay for the officers overtime than taking state funds through a grant from the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office,” he said.
I also received an e-mail from Beverly Terry of Edmond about Danny Williams retirement after an extraordinary career as Oklahoma City’s top-rated disc-jockey.
“He had a big following from Edmond,” Terry wrote. “Back in the ’60’s he was part of the Foreman Scotty Show. When my son Ross was 6 he was extremely quiet, but he won first place with a drawing on the TV show, and Danny came around and talked to each boy and girl. He got my boy started talking and he still talks. We will miss him,” she said.
Growing up in Pauls Valley I listened to Danny every morning while on the way to school. Years later I had an opportunity to work with Danny at WKY as a weekend disc-jockey. He was the one announcer all the young people hoping to make a career in radio imitated.
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I’d have to disagree with Grant’s take on this issue. Plain & simple, if you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime. Consequences are a part of life, and unfortunately, one of the only ways for us to learn our lessons. Growing up, the teachers who taught me the most were not the ones who warned over & over to do the right thing. Instead, it was the ones with a no tolerance approach who pushed me to do better and walk the line. Sure, safety is the root issue here, but that doesn’t mean the officers should all sit in plain site and wave as the speeders drive by. Catching them and teaching them a lesson is the job at hand.