The Sykesville Town Council voted recently to install speed cameras in what has been characterized as an effort to improve safety around school zones.

Residents are now petitioning the Council for a referendum to get a vote on cameras — but can anyone stop Eldersburg residents from being targeted by Maryland State Police when commuting to and from work?

Despite increasing crime in the Eldersburg area, much of it actually coming from Baltimore County, state police regularly sit on the eastbound lane of Liberty Road at the reservoir ticketing county residents for speeding.

I realize our state government is in a dire financial crisis (mostly of its own making), but I'm hard pressed to see the safety priority of exclusively ticketing Carroll residents commuting to and from work during rush hours in the morning and afternoon.

Morning traffic along eastbound Liberty Road already backs up with traffic in the morning, so the speed traps only add to the traffic problem as people slam on the breaks.

A focus exclusively on people on their way to work, when there is plenty of crime coming into our community and likely just as many speeders coming westbound, unmolested from Baltimore County, certainly undermines my confidence in our crime fighting initiatives.

It also makes me think that just like many jurisdictions, the increased interest in additional police and speed cameras often has more to do with revenue generation than with public safety.

How about a compromise? If state troopers are under orders to beef up state revenue by writing more speeding tickets, then the least we might ask is that they don't focus exclusively on Carroll residents commuting to and from work.

Who knows, a westbound trap might actually snare a criminal before they commit a crime in Eldersburg.

Ross Dangel

Eldersburg

---

user comments (1)

user casualobserver says...

A quick look at the FACTS provides hints as to why the police may be more interested in keeping commuter traffic at posted speed limits then hoping to discover a criminal by chance (known criminals are already being pursued by officers assigned to their cases). Zero murders in Sykesville for the past several years versus how many traffic fatalities and serious injury accidents on Route 32? (hint - one injury or death is TOO MANY). Kudos to the MSP for recognizing the greater danger to public safety - speeders. Why not drive at or very very close to the posted limit and thus AVOID the slamming of brakes just because you see a radar trap? If you need to get to work by a certain time, allow for traffic and leave earlier ! Life is short enough as it is. May I suggest you Slow Down and enjoy it!

Posted 12:06 AM, 03.18.10

• Permalink