Wednesday, April 23, 2003

PTC police could be better used for safety elsewhere

On a recent bright, sunny, Sunday afternoon, a close acquaintance of mine was pulled over by the Peachtree City Police on Golf View Drive at the three-way stop sign.

My acquaintance has been driving for 27 years and has never had an accident nor even a ticket before, but in this case was given a citation with a $67 fine. When she was pulled over, she had no idea what she had done wrong. The officer politely explained to her that not all of her four wheels had come to a complete stop, and further, she'd like to give her a warning only, but she was told by her superiors that because the police department had received so many complaints from residents in the Golf View area about people not coming to a complete stop at that particular stop sign, that she had to issue citations only and no warnings.

Now I'm not one to criticize the Peachtree Police Department lightly. I think our police department does an outstanding job 99 percent of the time. But in this case, I do have to question their priorities.

I know officers can't be everywhere all of the time. However, I believe the city's limited police resources could be better utilized at other more hazardous locations within the city, like Ga. Highway 74 southbound in the afternoon.

Recently, the police department put up their sign telling people how fast they are going on Hwy. 74 southbound. This is a highly effective tool for many drivers, confirming that they in fact are doing 75 mph on Hwy. 74.

Or how about the school zone in front of Booth Middle School most afternoons? Or just about any other school zone in the city for that matter, where I would venture to say one could find someone going at least 10 miles over the limit at any given minute. Or closer to the Golf View area, on Bluesmoke Trail where drivers exceed the posted 35 mile limit on a routine basis and seem to use the road as a drag strip on occasion (recall the fatal accident on Bluesmoke few years back where the young driver was driving near 100 MPH).

It would seem to me that our police manpower would be better utilized at these locations, before others are seriously injured or killed, rather than assigned to pull over poor drivers whose all four wheels don't come to a complete stop at a three-way stop sign.

Golf View residents, I suggest you quit your whining. You're beginning to remind me of war protestors who detract law enforcement officials from doing more important tasks.

Martin Poffenberger

Peachtree City