Belfast police will increase traffic enforcement this summer
Belfast police are targeting the city’s most problematic intersections and roads this summer to slow cars down as the department aims to cut annual crashes involving speeding, officials said.
The department is receiving $8,821 in federal funding from the Maine Bureau of Highway Safely to pay for increased manpower for more speed enforcement as well as more radar guns, said Belfast Police Chief Robert Cormier.
“Speed is one of the most common factors in most traffic collisions and using high-visibility speed enforcement is a proven way to reduce speeds, aggressive driving and related crashes,” Cormier said.
Police presence will increase at the city’s major points of entry, including the on and off ramps to Route 1 on Belmont Ave, Route 3, and Waldo Ave, as well as areas on Main Street and High Street, Cormier said.
Historical crash data from the Maine Department of Transportation will inform what hours and days they conduct patrols to be most effective, he said.
Aside from a more visible police presence, Cormier said the patrols will help identify areas that could benefit from traffic calming measures like fixed speed radars, more speed limit signs or changed parking direction that could reduce speeding issues in the long term.
“It doesn’t always have to be just writing tickets,” he said. “Our job out there is to change driver behavior.”