Lawmaker’s Bill Could Bring Speed Radar to Municipal Police

A state senator has introduced bipartisan legislation that would finally allow municipal police departments to use radar for speed enforcement.

Senate Bill 1237 is sponsored by State Sens. Steve Santarsiero, a Democrat who represents parts of Bucks County; Nick Miller, a Democrat who represents parts of Lehigh and Northampton counties; and Greg Rothman, a Republican who represents Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry counties.

According to the lawmakers, the goal is to modernize local law enforcement tools to combat speeding and reckless driving.

If passed and signed into law, the bill would end Pennsylvania’s status as the only state in the nation that restricts the use of speed radar to state troopers.

“For too long, Pennsylvania has lagged behind our neighbors by restricting local law enforcement’s access to radar technology,” Santarsiero said.

Santarsiero said local departments currently rely on outdated systems that are “less reliable, more costly and increasingly difficult to maintain.”

The restriction dates back to 1961 when the General Assembly first authorized radar use exclusively for the Pennsylvania State Police. Since then, municipal officers have been forced to use non-radar methods, including certified stopwatches or electronic devices that measure time over a set distance.

The bill mandates that municipal officers complete a training course approved by the Pennsylvania State Police before operating radar.

The lawmakers propose that municipalities must erect warning signs indicating the use of radar within 500 feet of borders.

The bill would also require that municipalities could not retain more than 101 percent of the previous year’s total speeding fine revenue. Any excess must be remitted to the state’s Motor License Fund.

The legislation calls for officers to only issue written warnings for the first 90 days after a municipality adopts a radar ordinance. In addition, officers using radar must be in a marked patrol car, positioned in a location “readily visible to the motoring public,” and drivers cannot be convicted unless they are recorded traveling at least 10 mph over the limit or 6 mph if the speed limit is over 55 mph.

Proponents, including the Pennsylvania Municipal League, have argued in the past that the alternatives to local police using radar are becoming obsolete.

“Companies producing these (speed timing) devices are going out of business or ceasing production, as there is very little demand for these products outside of Pennsylvania,” the league stated on its website.

Critics of local police using radar have long had concerns that radar could be used to create “speed traps” for revenue.

“Local law enforcement should have the tools they need to keep our communities safe,” Rothman said.

The legislation has been referred to the Senate Transportation Committee.

According to the Pennsylvania State Police Museum, the state police advocated for approval to use radar to track driving speeds starting in 1959. After two years of lobbying, the General Assembly passed a law in 1961 that allowed only troopers to use radar.

At the time of its introduction, state police made sure all highways had speed limits posted before troopers rolled out 32 sets of radar to enforce speed limits.

This story originally appeared on Levittownnow.com. It is republished with permission.