RSS
Home
Grant money used for bicycle and pedestrian enforcement
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
There's a story in today's Boston Globe about state grant money being used for stepped-up enforcement of bicycle and pedestrian laws. This is an excerpt:
That’s exactly why Officer Kevin Sullivan and five of his colleagues were stationed there on the afternoon of Sept. 30 - to stop cars, bikes, even pedestrians, who ignore traffic laws.
“Honestly, people are oblivious . . . their habits are so ingrained,’’ said Captain Michael Gropman, who oversaw the enforcement effort, made possible by a $7,500 grant from the state Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.
Nearly $100,000 has been awarded to police departments throughout the state to provide overtime funds so they can address pedestrian and bicycle safety through enforcement and education.
While I applaud the efforts of the Boston police in attempting to both educate the public and enforce the existing laws, I have to wonder why grant money has to be used for these special enforcement actions. If it's illegal for a cyclist to run a red light, a pedestrian to jaywalk, or a motorist to encroach on a crosswalk when pedestrians are present, aren't police officers supposed to enforce the laws even when they're not receiving overtime via that grant money?
Don't misunderstand - nothing excuses those who choose to ignore our traffic laws, but is it necessary to offer grant money as an incentive for law enforcement?
Here's another example. In my own community, police receive occasional grants for seat belt enforcement drives. They'll set up along an arterial for a few hours and stop drivers almost continuously for not wearing seat belts. It's unlikely that those drivers suddenly decided to forgo wearing a belt that day. It's routine for them. Yet I've never heard of a motorist being stopped for not wearing a seat belt unless it was in conjunction with another offense. In other words, unless there's grant money on the line, our police officers do not enforce these laws.
Grant money sends a message. It tells cyclists, pedestrians, and motorists that some traffic laws will only be enforced on special occasions. Some laws can be ignored with impunity - most of the time. It's the wrong message. A motorist who turns through a crosswalk, narrowly missing some pedestrians, should have an expectation of being stopped and ticketed. A pedestrian who jaywalks should have a similar expectation. Likewise, that cyclist who runs red lights should be nervous about receiving an expensive ticket. As Captain Gropman pointed out, these habitual behaviors must change. One way to bring about that change is by enforcing the laws every day, not just when grant money is available.
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
