Polaris to be patrolled by aircraft by Westerville PD.

[SpaceGhost]

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/06/13/cop-to-lurk-over-speeders-on-polaris-parkway.html

 

Cop to lurk over speeders on Polaris Parkway

Spurred by fatalities, Westerville hires pilot

 

Sunday, June 13, 2010 02:58 AM

BY ELIZABETH GIBSON

 

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

 

With four deadly wrecks in as many years, Westerville police have been looking for a way to slow speeders on Polaris Parkway.

 

The road, which has limited access and long medians, is poorly designed for lying in wait to catch speeders. But police think they might have a solution — hiring a private plane from which an officer can monitor traffic.

 

“I was skeptical at first, but with four fatalities, we’ve got to do something,” Chief Joe Morbitzer said. “We’ve got to work smarter.”

 

The city also is adjusting the timing of traffic lights because some of the wrecks were caused by people who didn’t yield at an intersection, the chief said. But high speeds also make collisions more dangerous and harder to avoid.

 

Drivers commonly zoom down the 45 mph stretch at 60mph.

 

The police plan to test the aerial surveillance over the next six months, starting within weeks.

 

Polaris Parkway and Sunbury Road already are marked so that someone in the air can clock vehicles’ speed between two points. Morbitzer said Cleveland Avenue and other major roads might be added.

 

Most cities enlist the help of State Highway Patrol pilots, but sometimes all the patrol’s planes are booked. Westerville worked with the patrol for two years, but the police were able to coordinate only one stakeout for speeders, Morbitzer said. At least three others were canceled because the patrol was busy.

 

That’s understandable, Morbitzer said, but his officers need something more reliable.

 

That’s when the department started researching whether it was legal to hire a private pilot. Buying and operating its own plane would be too costly.

 

Using a private pilot is acceptable under Ohio law as long as the pilot meets professional requirements and aerial-monitoring procedures are followed, City Prosecutor Mike Fultz said. “The pilot, in essence, is driving a taxi, and the only thing we need a taxi for is so an officer can look out the window.”

 

Information about speeders will be relayed to officers in patrol cars who can write tickets. The pilot, Dan Auslander of Sky Rite, is to be paid $190 an hour.

 

Morbitzer said the operation is about stopping speeders, not increasing ticket revenue. The police could use cheaper methods.

 

“You have to determine the cost of saving one human life, and I don’t think you can put a price tag on that,” the chief said. “Four families have been greatly impacted by these fatalities.

 

“We need to slow people down.”

 

[2pointslow]

"Westerville worked with the patrol for two years, but the police were able to coordinate only one stakeout for speeders, Morbitzer said. At least three others were canceled because the patrol was busy."

 

 

Ya and it wasnt the outcome they thought it would be......fuck them!

[SpaceGhost]

I bet they do Sunbury Rd. too as it is already marked.

 

I love how they say it's not to collect revenue. BULLSHIT, if it was safety they could park 2 cruisers (Empty and unmanned) in the median and people would slow down because they would be VISIBLE. Now they are going to fly over UNNOTICED so they can write as many tickets as possible.

[2pointslow]

I bet they do Sunbury Rd. too as it is already marked.

 

I love how they say it's not to collect revenue. BULLSHIT, if it was safety they could park 2 cruisers (Empty and unmanned) in the median and people would slow down because they would be VISIBLE. Now they are going to fly over UNNOTICED so they can write as many tickets as possible.

 

 

Its all about money!

[thorne]

Kinda lame. I mean if they are paying 190 per hour they need to bill out atleast 2 tickets to pay for there time.

[TTQ B4U]

Kinda lame. I mean if they are paying 190 per hour they need to bill out atleast 2 tickets to pay for there time.

 

more than that. You need to 4-5x your income if it's going to be a profitable worthwhile investment. they will likely team it up with the traffic patrols on 71N and line the road with motorcycles or something. it's not like it's going to really help anyway. if having the threat of a plane in the air meant anything to people, there wouldn't be any more tickets on the roads they already patrol. not the case. people who speed will always speed. they will just do so differently. I always drive at least 5-7 mph over the limit on 45mph roads. haven't been nailed in any zone of that type in over 20 years.

[justinwebb]

i honestly fly on polaris parkway cause they are right with no cop cars can really hide anywhere on the road. Ill be on the lookout now for a plane haha.

[SpaceGhost]

i honestly fly on polaris parkway cause they are right with no cop cars can really hide anywhere on the road. Ill be on the lookout now for a plane haha.

 

Exactly my point, put 2 cars in plain sight 1/4 mile apart and trafic will slow, combined with lights it will be safer. But no, there HAS to be tickets and since they can't hide and make money on the ground, hell let's hire a civilian to help get the extra taxes to piss away.

[2pointslow]

i honestly fly on polaris parkway cause they are right with no cop cars can really hide anywhere on the road. Ill be on the lookout now for a plane haha.

 

 

Name: Justin

Join Date: Mar 2004

Location: C-bus y0

Age: 27

Occupation: Stripper

Vehicles: 2000 Civic

 

 

 

:bangbang:

[AWW$HEEET]

They used to hide behind the bridge right there at Cleveland and Polaris Pkwy. I was doing about 70 through there and got a warning.

[CRed05]

Only time I really drive on Polaris now is when it has traffic out the ass, cant even get up to the speed limit let alone break it. This just sounds like a waste. I know there's usually a cop car sitting on Polaris and Worthington Rd I think it's called, right after the gas station and amphitheater, before Cleveland ave.

[Miller]

I hate how the lights on polaris work. If you hit the first light red, all the ones afterwards are going to be red when you hit them, making you stop go stop go stop go stop go.. if the first one is green, you're money all the way.

 

I hate that too! It's true. Wing and tubes tomorrow?

And this is definitely bull shit. I got pulled over by a cop while I was traveling west on Polaris. Pulled me over @ Worthington and stated he clocked me at Cleveland and was trying to catch up. I never saw him, so obviously they can do something on the ground.

[Stoopid Hipster]

they dont need to stake it out they can just patrol the shit I fly through there and never see a cop every now and then there a chipotle stuffing there face but never driving.... a lot of them are on gemini tho

[Smokey]

how far does Westerville jurisdiction stretch down Polaris?

 

If they really want to save lives, they'd start writing people tickets for blowing thru intersections there. Polaris and S. Old State is possibly the worst intersection I've been around in a long time.

[SpaceGhost]

There is a map of that in the article.

[dragknee66]

Even I think this is kinda ridiculous wow

[ImUrOBGYN]

I bet they do Sunbury Rd. too as it is already marked.

 

I love how they say it's not to collect revenue. BULLSHIT, if it was safety they could park 2 cruisers (Empty and unmanned) in the median and people would slow down because they would be VISIBLE. Now they are going to fly over UNNOTICED so they can write as many tickets as possible.

 

This.

[Smokey]

There is a map of that in the article.

 

bah...I'm lazy, you caught me. I really don't think that portion of Polaris is even the biggest issue on Polaris. The dash for 71 coming from West to East is where I see the biggest speed offenders on that road.

 

Is it just me or does that seem like a small portion of road to try to catch people by plane? Perhaps I'm just not up to snuff on how they do those tests. Really the only place I would regularly see people having enough space between lights to speed would be between Africa and Cleveland if they didn't catch any of those newer lights they've put in there.

[SpaceGhost]

bah...I'm lazy, you caught me. I really don't think that portion of Polaris is even the biggest issue on Polaris. The dash for 71 coming from West to East is where I see the biggest speed offenders on that road.

 

Is it just me or does that seem like a small portion of road to try to catch people by plane? Perhaps I'm just not up to snuff on how they do those tests. Really the only place I would regularly see people having enough space between lights to speed would be between Africa and Cleveland if they didn't catch any of those newer lights they've put in there.

 

Exactly, stop lights tend to fuck up Visual speed tests. S=D/T, This is clearly not about safety, it's about where they think they can get revenue. They are citing Polaris as the unsafe accident ridden road for reason of the expenditure of the flights, when I bet they write more tickets on Sunbury Rd where there are more open stretches of road between lights.

[Guest tbutera2112]

^ idk ben...polaris pkwy is a drag strip between westerville rd and 71....granted sunbury has a nice stretch between dempsey and county line, i still think there would be more speeders on that section of polaris pkwy...the lights are rarely red because theres no main roads there besides cleveland, and usually, if you hit one green you hit most of the others with how the timing is set up....i know im less afraid to fly down polaris than sunbury....sunbury road always has cops hiding in all the little entrances to parking lots for the dam

[SpaceGhost]

^ idk ben...polaris pkwy is a drag strip between westerville rd and 71....granted sunbury has a nice stretch between dempsey and county line, i still think there would be more speeders on that section of polaris pkwy

 

I'm trying to count the stoplights in my head, I am thinking 8 lights between 71 and Westerville RD. That's like a 2 mile rd. Like Not Brian said it's impossible to not to stop at each light unless you are moving at a good pace. Hmmmm maybe that's the answer, maybe just a time of light change would be the cheapest solution for safety. People wouldn't need to feel the need to go fast so they can make the next light.

 

5 between Dempsey and Countyline. Most likely the same distance.

[AWW$HEEET]

Sunbury Rd between the Hoover Dam and 161 I always manage to see TONS of WPD and Blendon Twp Police. I hear these guys are complete assholes. (Blendon)

[Guest tbutera2112]

^ yea...theres plenty of places to put cop cars in that stretch...which is why theres no need for a plane there

[LJ]

how far does Westerville jurisdiction stretch down Polaris?

 

 

The BP station