WEATHERSFIELD Police win laser gun in Ohio drawing

The department must still have all its officers train on the use of the laser gun.
By MARY SMITH
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
MINERAL RIDGE -- The Weathersfield Township Police Department has received a $5,000 laser gun to be used for speed checks.
The department won the gun after participating in a drawing with 19 other Ohio police departments at an event in Columbus sponsored by the Governor's Highway Safety Office.
Weathersfield, Niles and Boardman were among the 20 departments selected to participate in a drawing for either new Ford Crown Victoria police cars or second prizes of either a laser gun or an in-car mobile video camera, which the local department already has in all of its patrol cars.
The Weathersfield department won a slot to go to the drawing for its campaign as part of the state safety program, "What's Holding You Back," a seat-belt effort.
The department also participated in the Trumbull County Sheriff Department's drive against drunken driving, "You Drink, You Drive, You Lose."
Seat-belt regulations
Extra efforts on the department's part to encourage observance of seat-belt use included a zero tolerance of nonuse of seat belts and citations for seat-belt enforcement.
While officers cannot make a traffic stop for nonuse of seat belts, they can issue citations for the driver and passengers of a vehicle stopped for another reason if they are not wearing seat belts.
The driver and all passengers in a vehicle must wear seat belts under Ohio law, and children less than 4 years old and who weigh less than 40 pounds must be restrained in a properly used child-safety seat that meets federal safety standards.
Chief Joseph Consiglio said the department must still have all its officers trained on the use of the laser gun, the cost of which he said will be paid by the department and will be minimal.
The laser gun will be used in areas where speeding is a problem, he said.