The unit proactively enforces the law in an effort to educate and alter the behavior of the violator. The Pinellas Park police department's traffic unit believes the reduction of traffic crashes and traffic related injuries can be accomplished through education, engineering and enforcement. We would like to educate the public on how our officers operate speed detection devices and give an overview of how they are tested. The radar emits a sound wave. The change in the sound waves emits a Doppler tone.
Tone is the shift between waves sent out and the waves returning.
These tests are repeated at the end of each shift. An officer will park near the roadway with an unobstructed view of traffic. When the officer sees a vehicle, he thinks is speeding, he will first make a visual estimate of the speed of the vehicle. The unit will give a digital readout and emit a Doppler tone. The pitch of the tone is noticeably higher for faster moving vehicles than it is for slower moving vehicles.