The Estevan Police Service (EPS) is adding to the technology that it has for tracking speeds in the Energy City.

The EPS has purchased a Speed Spy unit. It boasts some similarities to the speed display sign they acquired last year, and have mounted to light standards in areas of the city where speeding is a problem. Both the Speed Spy and the speed sign record speeds of motorists, and the percentage of drivers who are speeding.

article continues below

But while the speed display monitor indicates the speed of the vehicle as the motorist approaches, the Speed Spy is not detectable to the public.

“We place it surreptitiously on different streets where we receive reports of high speeds and problems,” police Chief Paul Ladouceur told the Mercury. “And, of course, the public doesn’t know the location of this piece of equipment.”

If police notice there is a problem in an area, then they can begin a crackdown.

Ladouceur believes this equipment will provide an accurate recording of speeding problems in an area. If people see the speed display monitor, they might briefly slow down, and accelerate once they pass the sign.

“We’re hoping that we’ll be able to get a really true picture of some of our problem roadways in the city,” said Ladouceur. “So, certainly, when we receive complaints in a certain area, that there is speeding, we can place that Speed Spy equipment in those locations, and it thereby tells us the true analysis of if we have a speeding problem.”

The police will occasionally receive reports of motorists speeding in a certain area, but it will prove to be unfounded.

Speed Spy will allow police to have an accurate report on speeding for a complainant.

“We can look at the results, and we can go back to that person, and say there were 680 vehicles that passed by during this time period, the average speed was 33 kilometres per hour, the highest speed was 45 kilometres (per hour) and the lowest speed was 19 (kilometres per hour),” said Ladouceur.

Or they might find the average speed was well above the speed limit.

“It’s going to be a very good statistical analysis,” said Ladouceur.

The EPS receives a lot of complaints about the speeding in reduced speed zones and school zones. They held a traffic blitz on Wellock Road and the 1700-block of First Street last week.

“They’re not on the beaten path, so people feel there’s not a chance of law enforcement, or less of a chance of law enforcement, being in that area, as opposed to the downtown or the core centre of the city,” said Ladouceur.

Wellock Road, in particular, is a unique stretch because it’s a wide-open road, but people need to slow down, especially since a couple of schools and the Pleasantdale Ball Diamonds are near the road.

The speed sign has been used on such arterial roads as Kensington Avenue, and in reduced speed zones such as Wellock Road, First Street and Victory Road. It’s currently down for maintenance, but will soon return to service.

Ladouceur expects the Speed Spy will arrive before the end of the month, and it will start being used in problem areas of the city right away.

Speed Spy will cost about $3,000, and Ladouceur expects it will give the city several years of service. It is being purchased from this year’s budget, using savings that came from other areas.