The Department of Public Safety (DPS) has added two radar units to its fleet of safety and security services.

“The radar units will provide our officers with yet another technique to encourage voluntary compliance with important traffic and pedestrian safety issues on our campus,” DPS Director William Bess says. “They provide us with another tool to help us maintain a safe and secure environment for everyone on our campus.”

Ten police officers have been taught to operate the equipment to date. During the next year all DPS police officers will be trained in radar unit operation, but no one will be specifically dedicated to full-time radar enforcement.

“We will use the radar units on routine patrols and during periodic planned selective traffic enforcement,” says Capt. Joe Piersante, commander of police services. “We have received complaints about traffic safety concerns around our hospitals and in some of our housing areas, in particular.

“Many people use the roads on North Campus to pass through our campus and avoid busier nearby streets. Unfortunately many of these drivers are not adhering to our posted speed limits and are not appropriately yielding to pedestrian traffic. These radar units will assist our officers in addressing the traffic safety complaints and hopefully achieving compliance from drivers on campus.”

The radar units were obtained through a $5,000 grant from the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning. Initial officer training was provided at no charge by certified radar unit trainers with other law enforcement agencies.

Exceeding posted speed limits can result in a civil infraction, fines and court costs of $120-$240, and up to four points applied against the driver’s operator’s license.