New “Radar Board” Slows Down Traffic

Bishop Police Department recently placed a new traffic enforcement device at the south end of Main St., as motorists head into downtown – northbound.

Known as a “Radar Board” the portable trailer displays the road’s Speed Limit (35 MPH) and the vehicle’s speed. If the vehicle is traveling over 40, blue and red lights flash.

While it may not be as effective in the daytime, approaching vehicles at night think they are seeing a police car’s lights up ahead. If they still haven’t slowed down approaching town, when the lights flash, they do . . . quickly.

On Tuesday evening (Dec. 28) a BPD patrol car stood by to write tickets to those that still didn’t slow down. The highest speed noticed over a half-hour visit was 59 MPH.

The unit will be operating around town Monday – Friday – 24 hours a day. Contrary to some’s thinking, the unit is not used for photo enforcement. Speed photo enforcement is illegal in California.

The purchase and placement of this new device coincides with Police Cheif Standridge’s recent statement that he will increase traffic enforcement within the city limits.