The Pennsylvania State Senate took a baby step forward in efforts to provide local law enforcement officers with the ability to use electronic speed detection devices, such as radar, on Monday. While Senate Bill 535 passed by a large margin, 47-2, there isn’t much time left to get the bill before the State House of Representatives and Gov. Tom Wolf before the legislative session ends.

The bill has been introduced in past legislative sessions, but always died because of fierce opposition by those who felt allowing local officers to use such devices would lead to revenue gathering schemes and similar concerns.Law enforcement sees the use of radar and similar devices as a safety tool, not as a way to make money for their municipality.Lansford Police Chief Jack Soberick sees the bill as “A long time coming. Pennsylvania is the only state in the nation not to allow radar use by local police departments.”“Arguments against local use are just plain false, such as fears departments will spend all their time setting up speed traps as a way to generate revenue. Municipalities only receive one half of the actual fine for a motor vehicle violation. For example, most traffic fines are $25 (a cost that hasn’t been raised in more than 29 years). It’s the court costs and fees that bring the cost of a ticket to well over $100. Of that, 50 percent of the $25 fine is all that actually goes into the municipality’s coffers. Officers would have to be checking speeds 24/7 to make that $12.50 into a revenue generator. We have much more serious issues, like the heroin epidemic, where we can spend our time trying to make a difference.”That’s not to say that speeding isn’t a concern. Every department in the Times News area receives almost daily complaints about speeders, especially on roads such as Routes 93, 209 and 309.If police had nothing else to do, they could nab speeders on those roads night and day, even without radar, using only the hand held, electric devices currently approved for their use. But conducting speed checks that way takes up a lot of time.Tamaqua Police Chief Rick Weaver has been arguing for local departments to use radar detectors since his patrolman days.“Speeding is a safety issue. Pennsylvania is the only state in the country where local law enforcement has not been able to keep up with modern technology. We should be embracing it to keep our roads safer. Local police departments have been kept in the stone age for too many years,” he said.Sen. Dave Argall supported the bill and voted yes last week. “Pennsylvania is the only state in the nation to not allow local police to use radar or LIDAR. The proposal, which passed by an overwhelming vote of 47-2, has several safeguards for motorists, including ample notification, a warning period, and ensuring that it is not a money grab for municipalities. This bill will put Pennsylvania in line with every other state in the country.”“Being able to use electronic devices, such as RADAR (which uses radio microwaves) and LIDAR (which uses infrared technology),” according to Soberick, “would be easier, more efficient and less time consuming. These tools are out there. There is no logical reason they shouldn’t be available to every officer.”