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Speedway Police Keeping Fire Lanes Clear
(posted Jan 15)
Chief Jeff Dine announced during Monday's Police Commission meeting
that Speedway police and code enforcement officers are actively enforcing
no parking in fire lanes at the Speedway Super Center. Since the
crackdown started on New Year's Eve, the department has issued over 30
town ordinance violations to vehicles parked in the lanes. Drivers
in vehicles have been given verbal warnings. The crackdown stemmed from
a resident's complaint after she was verbally threatened by a motorist
when she pointed out the driver's violation.
The department is striving for voluntary compliance, Chief Dine said that
this enforcement is not an attempt to make money for the town. According
to Dine, in years past the shopping center management paid off duty officers
to keep the lanes clear, but after that merchants began to complain that
it caused problems for older shoppers who wanted to load vehicles at the
curb, so the program was dropped.
Chief Dine received commission approval to make minor changes to general
orders pertaining to holiday pay and shift bidding priorities for officers.
Officers will now be required to work four hours in order to receive holiday
pay.
Dine told the commissioners that K9 officer Steve Wyland's dog, Atze,
is being retired. The department is in the process of transferring
legal ownership of the dog from the town to officer Wyland. Dine
said he is planning on getting a new dog or possibly two, but the last
quote of $10,000 per dog was a substantial increase over the $5,500 the
department paid last time.
Assistant Chief Joel Rush said the reserve academy is now underway providing
training for six Speedway officers, one Clermont officer and a town code
enforcement officer. The academy will continue until the end of March.
The next meeting is February 11 at 10:30 am in the Speedway Town Hall.
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