Tuesday, May 25, 2021

Racine Police get green light to seek grant to cite rule-breaking cyclists, pedestrians

From The Journal Times.com:




RACINE — Area walkers and cyclists should think twice this summer before jaywalking or riding their bicycles through red lights.

The Racine Police Department has the go-ahead from the City Council to apply for a grant that will have a pedestrian and bicycle component in addition to traffic stops of vehicles, even if some local leaders are worried about the side effects.

The grant from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation/Bureau of Transportation would be for $13,000. It will pay for overtime of the officers working traffic enforcement.

While a leader of the police department said that officers retain discretion in when to cite someone who commits a traffic violation vs. when to issue a warning, documents show the state will be expecting local officers working in traffic enforcement to issue citations in 75% of stops under this initiative.

“If they (the officers) give a verbal warning, that’s fine, but they still have to go out and write some tickets. And they (the state) kind of set a guideline of every warning has to come with three written citations, as well for three more stops,” Deputy Police Chief William Macemon said earlier this month.

Should every stop end in a ticket?

Read more: https://journaltimes.com/news/local/racine-police-get-green-light-to-seek-grant-to-cite-rule-breaking-cyclists-pedestrians/article_1816089d-5cc8-5ec9-a5a0-153109c44af8.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

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