Traffic devise may put the brakes on speeding in Salineville - 21 News Now, More Local News for Youngstown, Ohio -

SALINEVILLE, Ohio - A small community in Columbiana County may be setting a new standard for speed enforcement.

Motorists speeding through the village of Salineville may soon be hitting the brakes.

The village's safety committee heard details of a proposed "laser radar system."

The automated speed enforcement devise would use lasers to track the speed a vehicle is traveling between two points, and then photograph those that exceed the limit. The devise was suggested by the village's police chief as way of helping his part-time department.

"We get a lot of complaints from neighbors of the truck traffic and cars coming into town," said Chief Terry McElroy. "We try to get officers out there but we can't have them out there all of the time."

The owner of the vehicle caught speeding by the devise would not be issued a ticket, but rather a "civil forfeiture" - or fine.

The cost of the fine, and at what speed they would be issued, would be determined by the village. A spokesperson for Optotraffic, the company carrying the devise, told committee members the standard fine in Ohio is about $100.

"This is a low income village," said Safety Committee Member Rick Beadle. "If people start getting hit with $100 for going 10 miles per hour over the speed limit, I mean it may slow a lot of people down but it's also going to hurt a lot of people."

Village police officers would be responsible for reviewing each citation. If a speeder challenged the ticket the village would have to pay for a "hearing officer" and possibly a county prosecutor.

The police chief tells 21 News that the village can remove the devise at anytime if it becomes too costly, or if it's no longer needed once speeders get the message to slow down. He adds the goal of the devise is not to make the village money, but to simply slow down those that are driving too fast.

The village safety committee is now considering the proposal and will determine whether or not they present the idea to council.