Record-Journal
09-18-2007, 12:05 AM
SOUTHINGTON — Officer Adam Tillotson sits in an unmarked white police car Monday afternoon and points his gun toward the road. Not a rifle, not a shotgun, not a handgun — this is a laser gun.
As he sits in the South End Burying Ground parking lot, he watches the cars go by, clocking their speeds as several pass him without incident.
“We have a problem with speeding around town,” Tillotson said. “Inexperienced drivers are trying to see how fast they can go on the roads. You will see a lot of guard rails hit” around town, he said. On East Street, guardrails have been put up because speeding cars kept running off the road.
And traffic enforcement can lead to other types of enforcement, Tillotson added. Sometimes weapons or drugs can be found, and during the stops police can learn information about other cases.
“Motor vehicle enforcement is huge. It is a good deterrent,” he said.
Then, without warning, a pickup truck speeds by, going 44 mph in a 30-mph zone. Tillotson hits the lights and siren and speeds toward the truck, pulling it over within seconds. He climbs out and walks toward the truck.
The driver, Robert Pilbro, does not argue with officer, though he feels the speed limit could be little bit higher.
“Cars just go so easy,” Pilbro said. He added that he travels the road often and usually averages 40 mph. Pilbro gets off light, with only a written warning.
“If you are respectful to them, they are respectful to you,” Tillotson said. However, he said, they still complain.
“Your laser gun is faulty,” some motorists tell him.
Sometimes they become argumentative.
“Don’t you have anything better to do, like arresting criminals?” they say to him. He said people lose sight of the fact that he is just doing his job when conducting a traffic stop.
The day is not over for Tillotson. He waits on Della Brita Drive, a side street off of Mulberry Street, with his laser gun in hand. Another motorist is caught speeding — 41 in a 30 zone this time.
The driver is Nadine Przybylszi, and she said that she “spaced out” while driving. She does not argue with the written warning given to her.
The police department would like to dedicate an officer traffic full time, but according to Sgt. Lowell DePalma, it is a manpower issue; the department couldn’t have an officer do a “specific specialized function” for a whole shift.
Before Tillotson starts traffic detail, he checks with dispatch to see if any speeding complaints have come through and confers about any traffic “hot spots.” He calibrates his laser gun and checks his vehicle’s lights, siren and other equipment.
Tillotson has just left the station and is driving down Meriden Avenue when a problem arises. The car behind him is following too closely. As he pulls the woman over, the traffic on the road slows down.
He said cars either speed up or slow way down when the drivers see a police car pulled over, but other vehicles — especially motorcycles — will speed up, apparently thinking he is too busy to stop them.
Tillotson returns to his police car after giving the woman a written warning about following too closely. He said he gives written warnings to be on the safe side: “I don’t want to take a chance.”
After examining the road to make sure it is clearly marked for the 40 mph speed limit, he parks his car in a private driveway and observes cars with his buddy, the laser gun.
He knows that people often go above the posted speed limit, but they are not doing that today. He notices that the cars are in fact flashing their lights at other drivers, warning them of the cop ahead.
But, that does not stop one car from speeding, and Tillotson jumps into his car in pursuit. He follows the car down East Street, hitting speeds over 60 mph, but the car has gotten away. The cat-and-mouse game is over, and this time the mouse won.
But, in the end, the town has benefited. Tillotson’s traffic patrol has ended with five written warnings and two infractions.
“This is the most calls I’ve done in a while,” Tillotson said.
While he writes up his final written warning, he overhears other officers making traffic stops.
“This is not a normal second-shift day,” he said.
jwenzel@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2235
As he sits in the South End Burying Ground parking lot, he watches the cars go by, clocking their speeds as several pass him without incident.
“We have a problem with speeding around town,” Tillotson said. “Inexperienced drivers are trying to see how fast they can go on the roads. You will see a lot of guard rails hit” around town, he said. On East Street, guardrails have been put up because speeding cars kept running off the road.
And traffic enforcement can lead to other types of enforcement, Tillotson added. Sometimes weapons or drugs can be found, and during the stops police can learn information about other cases.
“Motor vehicle enforcement is huge. It is a good deterrent,” he said.
Then, without warning, a pickup truck speeds by, going 44 mph in a 30-mph zone. Tillotson hits the lights and siren and speeds toward the truck, pulling it over within seconds. He climbs out and walks toward the truck.
The driver, Robert Pilbro, does not argue with officer, though he feels the speed limit could be little bit higher.
“Cars just go so easy,” Pilbro said. He added that he travels the road often and usually averages 40 mph. Pilbro gets off light, with only a written warning.
“If you are respectful to them, they are respectful to you,” Tillotson said. However, he said, they still complain.
“Your laser gun is faulty,” some motorists tell him.
Sometimes they become argumentative.
“Don’t you have anything better to do, like arresting criminals?” they say to him. He said people lose sight of the fact that he is just doing his job when conducting a traffic stop.
The day is not over for Tillotson. He waits on Della Brita Drive, a side street off of Mulberry Street, with his laser gun in hand. Another motorist is caught speeding — 41 in a 30 zone this time.
The driver is Nadine Przybylszi, and she said that she “spaced out” while driving. She does not argue with the written warning given to her.
The police department would like to dedicate an officer traffic full time, but according to Sgt. Lowell DePalma, it is a manpower issue; the department couldn’t have an officer do a “specific specialized function” for a whole shift.
Before Tillotson starts traffic detail, he checks with dispatch to see if any speeding complaints have come through and confers about any traffic “hot spots.” He calibrates his laser gun and checks his vehicle’s lights, siren and other equipment.
Tillotson has just left the station and is driving down Meriden Avenue when a problem arises. The car behind him is following too closely. As he pulls the woman over, the traffic on the road slows down.
He said cars either speed up or slow way down when the drivers see a police car pulled over, but other vehicles — especially motorcycles — will speed up, apparently thinking he is too busy to stop them.
Tillotson returns to his police car after giving the woman a written warning about following too closely. He said he gives written warnings to be on the safe side: “I don’t want to take a chance.”
After examining the road to make sure it is clearly marked for the 40 mph speed limit, he parks his car in a private driveway and observes cars with his buddy, the laser gun.
He knows that people often go above the posted speed limit, but they are not doing that today. He notices that the cars are in fact flashing their lights at other drivers, warning them of the cop ahead.
But, that does not stop one car from speeding, and Tillotson jumps into his car in pursuit. He follows the car down East Street, hitting speeds over 60 mph, but the car has gotten away. The cat-and-mouse game is over, and this time the mouse won.
But, in the end, the town has benefited. Tillotson’s traffic patrol has ended with five written warnings and two infractions.
“This is the most calls I’ve done in a while,” Tillotson said.
While he writes up his final written warning, he overhears other officers making traffic stops.
“This is not a normal second-shift day,” he said.
jwenzel@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2235