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SECTION 2 - PAGE 8 - PJ.AINDEALKR - FRIDAY, MARCH 10. 1078 Speeders Beware Hi ' Sgt. Patrick Joyce of the McHenry Police department is shown monitoring the speed of an oncoming car, although the approaching vehicle may not be able to see his patrol car which is partially hidden along the road (arrow at right). Joyce was parked near the west end of the city limits at the Sherman Hill Industrial area, where the speed limit is 40 mph for traffic entering and leaving the city. The city has renewed its program of strict enforcement of speed limit regulations, in an efort to combat the rising accident rate within the city. Speed Traps The following streets in McHenry have been under heavy radar surveillance. Motorists driving these roads must stay within the posted speed limits or take the risk of receiving a speeding ticket. FRONT STREET-From Elm street to the southern city limits. Front street is watched closely, especially during the morning and evening hours when drivers are commuting to and from work. Favorite hiding places of patrolmen are at Kane street, Grove street and Anne street. ROUTE 120-Throughout the city. The speed limit through most of the city on Rt. 120 from the river to Industrial avenue is 30 mph. It then increases to 35 mph and again to 40 mph until the top of Sherman hill at the west end of the city limits. Radar units have been spotted on Sherman hill and in town, near the A&P Food store. CRYSTAL LAKE ROAD-Crystal Lake road is patrolled constantly throughout the day when students are attending West campus. Radar is operated beginnning early in the day, when students travel to school, and later in the day, after school is dismissed. One student was recently ticketed traveling over 60 mph in the 30 mph zone. LILLIAN AVENUE~The entire length of Lillian avenue is posted as a 25 mph speed zone. It is a very residential area, and needs the lower speed limit to protect the residents and children of the area. City police are stationed on the street frequently during the day, in an effort to keep Lillian street from becoming a thoroughfare. GREEN STREET-Many drivers seem to be unaware that the speed limit on most of Green street is 25 mph. Near the southern edge of the city limits the speed limit does increase to 30 mph. A favorite spot of radar units is near the intersection of Anne and Green streets. RIVERSIDE DRIVE-From Route 120, north to the city limits, the speed limit on Riverside drive is 25 mph, because of the business district and the residential area along the river. Patrolmen monitor traffic on this street at different times throughout the day, sometimes parking in driveways along the road, in an effort to enforce the speed limit. City police will continue to enforce traffic regulations on these streets as well as others throughout the city. The best way to avoid a ticket is to voluntarily comply with posted speed limits. "There Will Be Renewed Emphasis On Curbing Flagrant Speeding Violations Mayor Joseph Stanek The McHenry police department has begun a program of strict enforcement of traffic regulations in an effort to combat the rising number of accidents within the city. Over 165 accidents have been reported to city police during the first two months of 1978, and according to department officials, this represents a dramatic climb over reported average accident rates for a city of McHenry's size. "The high number of pedestrian and vehicle accidents," according to Mayor Stanek, "cen be greatly reduced if there is a normal regulation of speed." Police Chief George Pasenelli stated that the Police department cannot fight the problem alone. "It is everyone's responsibility to cooperate," said Pasenelli. "It's their town, their children, their lives and their safety," he continued, "and we cannot fight the problem without cooperation." The prime target of the city law enforcers is to make the streets safer for kids and people in general, and they are monitoring the speed of traffic on streets feeding into high accident areas irvan effort to reduce the number of accidents in those areas. City officials are hoping that increased traffic enforcement will help to reduce the number of accidents on city streets. Since the beginning of the year, the department has issued over 280 tickets and 64 percent of those have been speeding violations. In one two-week period, officers issued 145 tickets, 125 of which were for speeding. The violations averaged ten to fifteen miles over the posted speed limit. Contrary to the belief of many people, police are not trying to turn McHenry into a "speed trap." "We are not issuing tickets as a means of increasing revenue and there is no quota system that must be met," said the police chief. "We're not going to make McHenry a speed trap. This is a safety program," Pasenelli explained. "The officers of this department hold their image in a much higher regard," he stated, "than to put up a speed trap. Using radar equipment, police squaa cars have been stationed at different locations throughout the city, especially on streets that feed into high accident areas. Three problem areas with a high accident rate are the intersections of Front and Elm streets, Crystal Lake road and Route 120, and Green and Elm streets. Radar units are in operation on streets leading to those intersections frequently, especially during those times of day when traffic is heaviest. One morning, between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m., a police officer running radar on Front street issued one ticket approximately every fifteen minutes. Each violation was for driving more ten miles an hour over the speed limit. One radar unit currently used by the city is a hand-held radar gun which has a range of over one mile and is effective for 5,000 feet. Police are able to station themselves off the road, partially hidden from the sight of motorists, and still operate the radar gun effectively. Lt. Robert Kranz said that the department has been very fair when issuing tickets. "We have been allowing ten miles an hour over the limit," said Kranz, "and that's more than fair." Kranz added that police would issue tickets for motorists traveling over the speed limit even if it is less than ten miles over. At the present time, many McHenry drivers don't even stay within ten miles an hour of the posted speed limit. "Safety is involved and we expect the residents of the city to abide by the law," said the mayor. "Good police enforcement will make city streets much safer." Chief Pasenelli hopes that the people of the community will voluntarily abide by the law and observe posted speed limits. "The city can only be as safe as its citizens make it," he explained. "The Police department will do all it can to keep McHenry streets safe," Pasenelli added, "but everyone must cooperate by obeying the law." «"A»» 'hit * •? r -- ABOVE: Traffic on Lillian street approaches Front street as a city police car, stationed on Grove street, monitors the speed of traffic. From this location, officers are able to observe the north-south traffic on Front street, where the speed limit is 35 miles per hour and the east-west traffic on Lillian street, with a speed limit of only 25 miles an hour. Just a few weeks ago, a McHenry man was clocked by a radar device traveling eastbound on Lillian street at 63 mph, 38 over the limit, and given a ticket by the policeman who had been stationed at this spot. This is one of many areas that will be under close surveillance in an effort to reduce the number of traffic accidents in McHenry. BELOW: Sgt. Joyce of the McHenry PD demonstrates the use of the hand-held radar gun presently being used by the department. The gun is pointed at a passing vehicle and registers its speed constantly while aimed at the moving vehicle. The gun has an effective range of 5,000 feet. The speed registered is flashed on the back of the gun and if it is over the posted speed limit for the area a shrill noise is emitted by the unit to alert the officer operating the gun. When these pictures were taken, a passing motorist was clocked at 53 mph in a 40 mph zone, as the picture below right indicates.