Is radar on the way for Centre County police? What’s next after PA Senate passes bill
Leaders of Centre County’s municipal police departments are hopeful that radar to enforce speed limits could be coming to their departments if a bill passed Tuesday by the state Senate clears two additional political hurdles.
The proposed legislation would bring Pennsylvania’s local police departments in line with every other police department in the country. The Keystone State is the only one in the nation that limits the use of radar exclusively to its state police, which has used the tool for decades.
That bothers many municipal police chiefs in Pennsylvania, who often say the current equipment is difficult to use and hampers their ability to enforce speed limits in residential areas.
“We get complaints from residents that they’re noticing a speeding problem in their neighborhood, but with the equipment that we have, we are unable to set up a zone to be able to properly enforce speed,” Patton Township police Chief Tyler Jolley said Thursday. “So if you wanted one word, ‘limited’ would be the word I’d go to.”
Similar legislation has failed multiple times.
Opponents are often concerned police departments would take advantage of the tool to boost their budgets with fines.
The bill introduced by state Sen. Mario Scavello — a Republican who represents part of Monroe and Northampton counties — would limit revenue from speeding tickets to 10% of a municipality’s budget.
Additional money above that limit would be sent to the state Treasury to help fund the state police.
“We don’t want radar to make money,” Ferguson Township police Chief Chris Albright said. “We want it to try to help reduce crashes and address some of the complaints from people in neighborhoods that have kids and dogs.”
Municipalities would have to pass an ordinance and train officers in using radar guns. Only warnings could be issued for the first three months; the full legislation would take effect in six months.
Convictions for speeding based on radar would be prohibited if the recorded speed is less than 10 mph above a 70 mph limit, except in school or work zones. For higher speeds, the buffer drops to 6 mph.
Senators voted 49-1 for the bill. Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, R-Benner Township, was among those who voted yes.
The proposal needs to be passed in the state House before potentially heading to Gov. Tom Wolf’s desk.
State Rep. Scott Conklin, D-Rush Township, said he plans to vote in favor of the bill. He brushed aside any concerns police would use the tool to boost their budget, saying “it’s not a revenue generator.”
State House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, R-Bellefonte, did not respond to a request for comment.
A Wolf spokesperson said the governor supports allowing municipal police to use radar and plans to monitor the legislation as it moves through the House.
There were 17 severe or fatal crashes on local roads where speed was the primary factor over the past decade in Centre County, according to state Department of Transportation data.