Panel considers buying portable devices to help deter speeding

Looking to crack down on speeding in Gaffney, the city's police committee on Friday agreed to start looking for new portable radar equipment to better deter lead-footed drivers.

Police committee members including councilmen Tom Reid, Billy Love and Mayor Henry Jolly all support the idea of purchasing radar speed display trailers for the city, which are portable units that can be placed along problematic roadways to alert motorists when they're driving too fast.

"I just think we need some type of device along these lines and it would benefit our citizens," Reid said.

These signs show the posted speed limit and how fast a passing motorist is going. Some models warn speeders to slow down with flashing warning signs, while others can include high-tech traffic counting systems as well, said Police Chief John O'Donald.

O'Donald told the committee members the city had looked into these devices several years ago and that prices hovered around $8,000 per unit.

Reid and Jolly both said prices have since come down. Units they saw at a recent conference started at around $2,500, they said.

O'Donald said he would research prices and features on new radar speed display trailers and get back to the city administrator's office. He also said he would check with manufacturers for the possibility of trying out a test unit.

City administrator James Taylor said the city would have to appropriate some money to pay for the trailers since they're not a budgeted item.