Gilroy

Gilroy Considers Arming Residents with Radar Guns to Curb Speeding Drivers

The City of Gilroy is considering arming residents with radar guns to help cut down on speeding drivers.

In the neighborhood around Mantelli Drive, near Santa Theresa Boulevard, city officials have set up speed monitors to curb speeding problems.

Many Gilroy residents in neighborhoods surrounding the area said the wide roadways and long stretches without stop signs encourage reckless speeding.

"You have to watch out when you're a pedestrian or bicyclist," resident Dan Callahan said. "You can't just assume people are going to do what they're supposed to."

The city in response started looking into providing residents with radar guns to catch speeders.

"Anything that can help people sort of reclaim the streets if they feel it's out of control, I think that would be OK as long as it's implemented properly," Callahan said.

Gilroy has been studying other communities that have equipped residents with radar guns, designed only to collect information for the police.

"Residents would be able to check out a radar gun and what they do is work in pairs to track the speed," Mayor Roland Velasco said. "And the other person would record that information from the vehicle."

The mayor and police emphasize in the proposal citizens would not issue citations or be involved in any enforcement.

"We're always encouraging neighborhoods to help," Gilroy Police Sgt. Jason Smith said. "Speeding is one of those violations where you have to be in the right place at the right time."

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