New Police Radar Guns Hit Streets Slowing speeders down not only increases traffic safety but also has a positive impact on crime reduction. That combination has caused the Fort Worth Police Department to equip all 12 of its Neighborhood Police Districts with three hand-held radar units per district. This new crime-fighting tool allows patrol officers and Neighborhood Police Officers to curb speeding while increasing police activity in each district. The radar units began duty in August, and though the numbers aren't in yet as to how many speeders have been slowed down because of the stepped up enforcement, Lt. David Ellis says the new radar guns give officers a crime-fighting edge.
Statistics show that when traffic speeding violations are reduced, so are injury accidents.
That's no big surprise. But what is surprising, is that during a two-month period in the West Division, seven beats with extra traffic enforcement showed almost twice the rate of decrease in theft offenses. The reduction has been attributed to an increase in police activity. Seized assets are awarded by the court to the Police Department. Because the new units can be hand held, they allow officers more flexibility.