Video: Benefits Of Radar Technology For Law Enforcement

CLAY COUNTY, Miss.(WCBI)—Two sheriff’s departments in Mississippi can use a radar gun to write tickets for speeders.

“If someone is speeding up and down county roads we want to know why. Depending on the circumstances they might be hauling dope be drunk again that endanger our community and those are the concerns of the sheriffs and that why we ask them to give us a chance,”said Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott.

That’s the message sheriff departments across Mississippi keep sending lawmakers in Jackson, for years now. However, the idea seems to always be met with the same response. Radar guns means speed trap.

Scott says that’s not the reason behind the radar gun.

“What people have to understand is I’m not in the business to make money. Our job is to protect the community. Years ago, I understand, the sheriff had fees that they could collect. It’s not that way anymore. Any money collected now goes to the general county,”said Scott.

” People will drive faster on those roads because they know it’s no law enforcement with a radar gun that they are going to run into,”said Winston County Sheriff Jason Pugh.

Pugh says radar technology would be especially helpful on the county roads, near schools.

” We have a christian academy on that road. In this situation we have children being dropped off at school in the morning and children retrieved from school in the afternoon and we have people who drive at high rates of speed on that road,”said Pugh.

Lowndes County is one of the 2 counties in the state allowed to use radar. Chief Deputy Marc Miley says It’s been a tremendous help to deputies.

“Any time that you can have a tool to assist in something it helps greatly. The radar is used to make probable stops,”said Miley.

It can even help in other areas of the job and other agencies.

“If the highway patrol needs assistance we’re there to assist them and the same way with us if we need assistance from the highway patrol they are there to assist us,”said Miley

“Radar is just a tool in our toolbox to help us. Our job is to protect the community. This day and time it’s not like it was 20 years ago,”said Scott.

House Bill 110, allowing sheriff departments to use radar on county roads has been presented to the legislature and assigned to the House Transportation Committee.

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