The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-10-15
decide TO CONTINUE
POLICY ON SPEEDING
AS BEST FOR CITY


Decision to continue the enforce
ment of the state law against speed
ing within the city limits, was the
outcome of a meeting of the city po-
lice commissioners, motorcycle offic-
ers, and representatives of local news
papers, held IN the city court room
Saturday morning.
The meeting was called by the conf
missioners in order to consider reports
that trade was being driven away from
the city because out-of-town people
were afraid to stop here for fear OF
being arrested. 1t was the unanimous
decision of commission that such re-
ports were without foundation in fact
and that the policy that had been fol-
lowed was the best for the city.
Drive sanely, that is all we ask
of the people of Richmond" declared
Police Commissioner Dill at the close
of the meeting. Our only request is
that drivers of motor cars observe due
care. We do not want cars smashed
up, neither do we want to arrest peo-
pie We are merely enforcing the law
lOl inc SOOO vi IIC oh0 w -
tend to go on doing that precisely as
we have in the past"
Stand Behind Officers.
! James Martin, James Frye and Will
| liam Dill, members of the board of po-
lice commissioners, Paul Beckett,
! Wayne county prosecutor, motorcycle
officers |. C. Wright and ]. W. Hen
inigar, Desk Sergeant George Stau-
bach and Chief of Police Wenger and
Representatives of local newspapers at
| tended the meeting.
| Police Commissioner William Dill
stood squarely behind the motorcycle
officers in their arrests made up to
] the present time. The controversy IN
i the meeting centered about the reports
that Richmond trade was being lost
through the policy of the local police
in enforcing the state regulations
That such was not the case was prov
en- by figures made up from the po
lice docket, showing arrests for the
past month.
| OF total of II arrests for viola
] tions of state motor laws, Sc of the
drivers arrested were local people
| and only 21 were out of town motor
lists. This argument was used to show
that the police were not discrim!n
/ ating against out of town drivers a.
had been the report.
i OF the Sc drivers arrested for speed
ing, 16 were boys under the legal ag'
for driving as fixed by the state law
All motorists arrested were let OF
with the minimum fine of 81 and cost
or a total of $11.
Warn Many Drivers
Pich nnliPa are IpnIpn
with first offenders was proven by fig
ures showing that 100 people had beer
warned by officers. Not man hat
been arrested by the police on speed
ing charges unless he had been goin:
over % miles per hour, according t
Mayor Zimmerman, who was amoni
those present after the start of tn
hearing.
The fines for speeders are distrit
uted in accordance with the state lay
as follows: 81 to the school fund, S
to the city, and $5 to the prosecutin
, attorney.
Many complaints had been made b
. motorists that they were not going a
/, excessive speeds when hailed by tn
officer This matter was also e1
! planned when the statement was mad
that officers did not always arrest vic
lators at the instant they were exceed
ing the limit, but drove behind ther
for some time to be sure of gettin
their exact speed registered with th
/, machine on the motorcycle speed
ometer.
Five Hurt in 10 Days
Many property owners are standin
behind the police in their policy, a,
| cording to Chief of Police Wenger. H
: cited the case of one motorist who ha
admitted being guilty of the charg
of speeding, and who was strongly fc
the policy of law enforcement.
! "We want to get this city regulate
so that parents can send their chi
dren TO school in the morning withol
the fear of having them come bac
home in an ambulance" said jaime
: Martin, in the course of the meeting
Five persons have been hurt in a
:. tomobile accidents during the past
:. days according to Prosecutor Beckett
. Collisions have been frequent.