Tamaqua Police have been writing a lot of traffic citations as part of the North Central Highway Traffic Safety Network's current Aggressive Driving Campaign. Just this week, officers wrote 22 citations, despite an apparent disgruntled person's effort to stop them.

When patrolman Rick Bekesy pulled into the area near the Owl Creek Road intersection, where officers usually monitor traffic, he noticed something unusual - dozens upon dozens of roofing nails, spread only in the area where the police cruiser usually parks.While that may cause a chuckle for some, it could have created a dangerous situation for the officer and the motoring public. "If a nail became lodged in the tire, it could have caused the tire to blow while driving at speed. That could have caused an accident," Bekesy said.He also said a single tire for the cruiser costs $200 of taxpayers' money.Asked if the nails could have fallen or been tossed by a passing motorist, officers said the placement was obviously deliberate.Some might think it's a joke, or a minor way of getting back at officers conducting traffic stops, but Bekesy points out, "The patrols are about making the roads safer for motorists. We're not out to get random drivers just to issue tickets."Not only that, the act is also considered to be criminal mischief. If officers discover who placed the nails, that person will receive a citation.Police are looking forward to an expansion of the borough's safety camera project, when all of the major roadways in Tamaqua will be covered by high resolution cameras.