Vandalia crime prevention officer Doug Nagel said the box – a $4,000 investment the department has utilized since the beginning of the year – led authorities to a pair of drivers who routinely drove 50 mph in a 25 mph zone.
“We’re learning some new things that people are just coming to us about,” Nagel said.
The box has been in a handful of locations this year. Officers can access its data via the use of Bluetooth technology and study the data. Any citizen can request that data and the box is often positioned in areas originally brought to officers’ attention by way of citizen complaints.
This week the box measured speeds in front of Helke Elementary School on Randler Avenue. Brandy Jenkins lives down the street from the school and said the device was sorely needed.
“People literally speed like it’s nothing,” she said. “Kids are always in the middle of the road. I don’t think people take that into consideration.
“They’re reckless,” she said.
Nagel said people in several neighborhoods have expressed concerns. While data hasn’t revealed any specific trend that could be considered troubling, the box will continue to be used in areas deemed appropriate.
“It doesn’t record anything except speeds,” Nagel said. It doesn’t record a license plate, a person’s car or the person themselves.
“It allows us to really work with our citizens even more than what we were doing before,” he said.
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