POLAND TWP. Trustees to buy speed trailer

All parties agree that the machine is helpful to officers.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
POLAND -- Township police will soon have a new tool to combat speeding in residential and construction areas, but one township official feels the machine is an unnecessary expense.
Trustees gave Police Chief Carl Massullo the go-ahead to buy a speed awareness trailer, a unit that sets up along any road and tells motorists their actual driving speed as they drive past, for $9,995.
A $5,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Public Safety will pay for half the cost.
Massullo said the machine will save the township money over time.
He said should a resident complain about speeding in a given area, the department will put out strips to count cars and measure speed to determine if there really is a problem.
If the tests indicate a problem, the trailer will be used to make motorists aware of the posted speed limits and their own driving speeds, he said.
According to Massullo, using the machine will be cheaper in the long run than posting a paid officer in areas where there is speeding. He said the machine will also help in fostering good relationships with individuals in the community.
"This is a more cost-effective means of dealing with speeding in residential areas. With our township growing the way it is, this is a very valuable tool for us," said Massullo.
Who disagreed: Township clerk Cathy Stacy agrees that the machine can be a valuable tool in dealing with speeders, but feels it is unnecessary to buy a speed trailer when the county has the machines in storage ready to borrow.
Before Trustees Franklin Bennett and Mark Naples OK'd the purchase at a meeting this week, Stacy told them buying the machine is an unnecessary expense.
Trustee Annette DiVito was not present.
"I am concerned with the amount of money since there are trailers available just sitting there that people are not using anymore," said Stacy. "There is other traffic-related equipment and training officers could use instead."
Massullo took exception to Stacy's comments, which he said were made with a lack of research.
The township is better served to buy a machine because county machines are not always available, especially in the summer months, he said.
He added that county officials are reluctant to lend out the machines and do not like them used on state highways.
The $5,000 grant is another reason to buy now, he said.
The township has borrowed the machines from other areas such as Boardman Township and the county in the past.
jgoodwin@vindy.com