CAUGHT VIA LASER

New tool enables deputies to pinpoint speeders in a group and target difficult stretches of roadway.

Figure if you're speeding in a group of vehicles that you won't be pulled over? Think again. New technology makes it easier for law enforcement to pinpoint each vehicle's speed one by one.
The Isanti County Sheriff's Department is now using this new laser technology, thanks to a donation from the Minnesota Safe & Sober program.
"We can work an aspect of traffic we haven't been able to in the past," noted Isanti County Deputy Chris Caulk.
Since the 1960s, law enforcement has been using radars to gauge the speed of drivers. The tools work best on two-lane roads. Radars provide two speeds at a time. When an officer is working a four-lane roadway and a pack of cars comes up, the radar spits out a series of speeds as it reads each oncoming vehicle. A trained officer can accurately determine which speed reading belongs to which vehicle, and issue a ticket confident it will hold up in court.
However, the radar has its limitations, noted Caulk. To work, the deputy's vehicle must be facing the same direction as the roadway. But there are some stretches of road, such as in densely packed neighborhoods with no shoulder, where there is no room for an officer's vehicle.
This is a situation perfectly suited for the new hand-held laser device. An officer can park the car out of the way in a driveway entrance, for example, and get out of the squad to aim the laser at oncoming vehicles. The laser beam quickly locks onto an oncoming car that is located as far as 1,500 feet away, and displays a speed reading as well as a distance reading. An officer then has enough time to jump back into the vehicle, catch the speeder and issue a ticket.
"Our computers allow us to be more efficient in our job," noted Caulk. "A laser allows us to more effectively work traffic."
Traffic is an officer's main responsibility, remarked Caulk. It is a way to be proactive and seek out offenders, rather than be reactive and respond to calls. Within a 10-hour shift, he estimates he spends between three to four hours focused solely on traffic, but as he moves to and from various calls he's always keeping a look out for traffic violators.
By pulling drivers over for traffic violations, a myriad of other crimes are brought to light.
At each stop, a driver's record is pulled and analyzed by an officer there in the squad car, thanks to the computers each car is equipped with. Officers learn whether the driver's license is suspended or there is a warrant issued, and can then react appropriately.
In areas where burglaries are high, a police presence shown through traffic stops decreases the incidences of burglaries, Caulk pointed out.
"Highly visible traffic law enforcement reduces criminal activity, crashes and calls for service, as well as increases the community's feelings of safety," observed Bob O'Brien of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS).
In fact, 39% of felony arrests in 2006 were a result of traffic stops. Many highly publicized crimes were solved because of a traffic stop, O'Brien added, including the Oklahoma bombing. Timothy McVeigh was stopped for not having a license plate.
Traffic enforcement is one piece in an equation the DPS employs to reduce crashes in the state. "We have found that adhering to the three Es (engineering, education and enforcement) will reduce crashes in a community. However, if any piece of the formula is lacking the program will fail," said O'Brien.
The total number of crashes in the state increased 3.5% between 2006 and 2007. In Isanti County, however, crashes went down from 533 in 2005 to 430 in 2007.
To make roads safer, areas are targeted at specific times throughout the year. Through the use of grant funds, extra patrols are put out with the sole purpose of making traffic stops. Over Memorial Day and in October, the focus is on seatbelts; in July it is on speed; and over Labor Day and in December it is on those driving under the influence.
"We're going out and saving lives," said O'Brien.
The lack of a seatbelt, high speeds and driving while intoxicated are the top three contributors to crashes in the state, according to O'Brien. Fifty percent of those killed in traffic crashes were not wearing their seatbelts. On a positive note, the current seatbelt usage is at 86%.
Roads in rural areas tend to be the site of more severe crashes. While 70% of crashes occur in urban areas, they account for only 30% of the fatalities. Over 70% of deaths occur on rural roads.
O'Brien pointed to narrower roads, higher speeds, and fewer people wearing seatbelts as the reason for the fatalities. The goal of the DPS and the Safe & Sober program is to reduce the number of deaths that occur each year.
Because of its success during these saturation periods, Isanti County was rewarded with the donation of the Pro Laser III. It is the first one owned by the sheriff's department, and is worth $3,000. Cambridge and Isanti Police Departments, as well as the local state patrol squads, also use laser guns.