Motorcycle cops

[DowntownMan]

Has anyone else noticed the large motorcycle cop presence every morning lately on i40? They have been out every morning this week and last.

Is it end of Fiscal year, end of month, good weather? Just have noticed about 5 officers out every morning the last two weeks.

Just went from never seeing them that early (before 7am) to them being there everyday...

I try to not ever speed through this section anyway but it does get annoying with everyone tapping their brakes when they see them

[Bellaboo]

Yep. They have even been on I-40 eastbound out by Rockwell, during rush hour too. I also know that the Kilpatrick on the west side will have then hiding behind the bridges for 2 miles in a row.
They space out over downtown around the curves and have been very busy lately.

It's like they are looking at traffic through binoculars (radar) while leaning on their bikes.

[sooner88]

They're all over 235 right now too. They either hide behind the walls on the on ramps / off ramps, or curves, hills, etc. The speed limit is deceivingly low also... They've been taking their pick on who to pull over every morning.

[rezman]

Yep. They have even been on I-40 eastbound out by Rockwell, during rush hour too. I also know that the Kilpatrick on the west side will have then hiding behind the bridges for 2 miles in a row.
They space out over downtown around the curves and have been very busy lately.

It's like they are looking at traffic through binoculars (radar) while leaning on their bikes.

They're using laser with optical sight. It helps them more accurately pinpoint speeding vehicles.

[catch22]

2 of my 3 speeding tickets have been by a motorcycle cop. I have a beef with dedicated traffic enforcement, while high crime areas continue to grow. But that is a subject matter for a different thread, and a topic I don't really care to discuss anyhow. If they catch me speeding fair and square while driving or on patrol -- that is one thing. But to hide behind corners, trees, and visual barriers to catch people speeding, it seems like a waste of resources. They should be out patrolling these neighborhoods where crime is a problem.

[Roger S]

Great! I was just thinking to myself the other day, after a motorcycle went flying passed me doing about 100 MPH, that we could use some more traffic enforcement officers on the streets.

Maybe one should go setup on Walker... I get passed by people every morning doing 50-60 MPH in that 40 MPH zone.

[Roger S]

2 of my 3 speeding tickets have been by a motorcycle cop. I have a beef with dedicated traffic enforcement, while high crime areas continue to grow. But that is a subject matter for a different thread, and a topic I don't really care to discuss anyhow.

Speeding is a crime and from the amount of it I see.... It's one of the fastest growing crimes turning our roads and streets into high crime areas.

[catch22]

Speeding is a crime and from the amount of it I see.... It's one of the fastest growing crimes turning our roads and streets into high crime areas.

Sure, but which crime should take priority? Speeding or car jackings, sex trafficking, and gang crime? The answer is one generates revenue, while the other costs the city and state time and money with no chance of recovering any revenue.

[jerrywall]

I've got no problem with traffic enforcement, but I'd rather the officers be visible. Highly visible, marked cars, while maybe netting less revenue/tickets, will deter EVERYONE on the road and encourage them to drive safer. Hidden speed traps encourage speeding in order to net tickets.

[Roger S]

Sure, but which crime should take priority? Speeding or car jackings, sex trafficking, and gang crime? The answer is one generates revenue, while the other costs the city and state time and money with no chance of recovering any revenue.

Use one to finance the other.... Seems like a win-win to me.

[catch22]

I've got no problem with traffic enforcement, but I'd rather the officers be visible. Highly visible, marked cars, while maybe netting less revenue/tickets, will deter EVERYONE on the road and encourage them to drive safer. Hidden speed traps encourage speeding in order to net tickets.

I agree. If you catch me speeding fair and square -- alright. But I hate the hiding, deception, and unmarked cars for the sole purpose of allowing you to break the law, then fine you for it. I'm 100% for safe driving, however if it's unsafe, why are they allowing people to do it for the sole purpose of fining them later? If they were actually concerned for safety they would make themselves very visible, and people would police themselves into slowing down. Those who don't deserve to be pulled over.

Both of my motorcycle cop speeding tickets were for less than 10 over, and for keeping pace with interstate traffic. I just happened to be the one out of 50 cars in that pack that he wanted to pull over.

[FighttheGoodFight]

I've got no problem with traffic enforcement, but I'd rather the officers be visible. Highly visible, marked cars, while maybe netting less revenue/tickets, will deter EVERYONE on the road and encourage them to drive safer. Hidden speed traps encourage speeding in order to net tickets.

I think they have to be honest and just say "Ya we write tickets for money."

I need to find that article on another states budget problem where the chief said he would need to get more revenue so they would just write more tickets.

Edit: Not quite the same thing: http://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/apd-...aise/243041933

[Roger S]

I've got no problem with traffic enforcement, but I'd rather the officers be visible. Highly visible, marked cars, while maybe netting less revenue/tickets, will deter EVERYONE on the road and encourage them to drive safer. Hidden speed traps encourage speeding in order to net tickets.

Don't know that I can agree that hiding encourages speeding.... A sense of self-entitlement certainly does.... But I do agree that a more visible presence could possibly encourage people to drive more responsibly.

Then again, as I mentioned in another thread, I regularly see law enforcement disregarding traffic laws as well.... So how does that encourage responsibility?

[catch22]

Use one to finance the other.... Seems like a win-win to me.

Isn't that what our tax dollars are for? To pay for police patrols to serve and protect us?

[Roger S]

....allowing you to break the law, then fine you for it.

Huh? If you have made the decision to speed. How are they possibly allowing it? You are the one that chose to do it.

I do agree that they should not be in unmarked cars.... That's a hazard to motorists because it creates a safety issue due to the fact that I don't know that an unmarked car is in fact law enforcement and not someone impersonating law enforcement.

[Roger S]

Isn't that what our tax dollars are for? To pay for police patrols to serve and protect us?

I don't feel like I'm getting my moneys worth based on what I see on the streets these days.

So let's just consider a speeding ticket a luxury tax, ok I really wanted to call it a stupid tax but trying to be nice about it.... and I just failed but.... If you want to speed. Be prepared to get taxed further for it with a speeding ticket.

[turnpup]

I would like to see more attention paid to ticketing the dangerous drivers--those who swerve in and out of lanes, don't signal, cut in front of others, etc. Just about every day I have to make some sort of evasive maneuver to avoid an accident caused by a dangerous driver. Some days, multiple times. I do believe the presence of visible officers driving on the roads with us would both discourage speeding and serve as an opportunity to pull over the dangerous ones. Still a revenue opportunity, although probably not as easily done as the motorcycle speed traps.

[checkthat]

I've got no problem with traffic enforcement, but I'd rather the officers be visible. Highly visible, marked cars, while maybe netting less revenue/tickets, will deter EVERYONE on the road and encourage them to drive safer. Hidden speed traps encourage speeding in order to net tickets.

So much this. If it was about safety, visible enforcement would absolutely be the way to go. Interesting number of the day from OK Policy yesterday:

Number of the Day
$178.50

Total of court fees added to the $10 fine for speeding 1-10 mph over the limit in Oklahoma.

http://okpolicy.org/know-university-...ees-7-percent/

[rezman]

On the northbound Hefner Parkway, as your coming into the construction zone and the speed limit drops to 35, the cop likes to sit behind the orange barricades on the left shoulder, parked facing south. If you don't know to be looking for him, you won't see him till your right up on him and passing him.

[MagzOK]

I have no problem with traffic enforcement, but then again I don't generally speed much. Now I don't say "never"! I don't think people should only focus on their driving habits only when they see a marked police vehicle as I'd rather everyone follow the laws and stuff all the time. Since many folks don't do that already there's the necessity to have unmarked vehicles and motorcycle units. We share the road. I try to keep it as safe as possible for other folks and families driving along side me so I would like the same in return.

[GaryOKC6]

They're using laser with optical sight. It helps them more accurately pinpoint speeding vehicles.

The new laser is also almost impossible to detect with a radar/laser detector.

[DowntownMan]

On the northbound Hefner Parkway, as your coming into the construction zone and the speed limit drops to 35, the cop likes to sit behind the orange barricades on the left shoulder, parked facing south. If you don't know to be looking for him, you won't see him till your right up on him and passing him.

I haven't seen them in the mornings in a long time. The speed limit is now also 45 through there but it does drop for north bound traffic around 122nd now which people are still flying to the memorial exit even though it's 45 there and not 65 like it was.

[rezman]

I've seen them there several times. Last time was around 2 weeks ago.

[OKCRT]

The new laser is also almost impossible to detect with a radar/laser detector.

It's just not fair any longer. They are there to write as many tickets as possible to meet their quota. Once they meet that they can go have donuts and kick back. Then write some more tickets. It's a pattern they all follow. I was told this by a county sheriff. He said OKC cops are the worst.

[Plutonic Panda]

It's just not fair any longer. They are there to write as many tickets as possible to meet their quota. Once they meet that they can go have donuts and kick back. Then write some more tickets. It's a pattern they all follow. I was told this by a county sheriff. He said OKC cops are the worst.

Yeah. The sheriffs mainly seem to focus more on drugs and won't f@ck with people unless they're driving like idiots.