Have you seen one of these black boxes on the side of the city streets? Well they are new spy devices the Winnipeg Police Service have installed to collect data on how fast vehicles travel through different areas.
The JAMAR Radar Recorder’s cost $7,000 each and there are 3 of them deployed throughout the city. The data collected is used to determine the best places to deploy officers for speed traps. The batteries in them can last up two weeks and capture data on every passing vehicle 24-hours a day.
So, now the golden question – why did the Winnipeg Police Service give this information to media if it was meant to be a spy device?
It’s simple… the key is awareness. Mark and unmarked police vehicles are very easy to spot and as soon as you approach one, you slam on the breaks to slow down. Or let’s say you see a tweet on Twitter about a speed trap on Portage, you obviously slow down while on Portage. But when no one is watching, it’s usually an excuse to speed.
Now that you know that someone may always be watching – the hope is you slow down. This is not a cash grab. The long term goal is to minimize speeding in the city. Keep it safe Winnipeg!
Image radarcovert2 Originally uploaded by AccessWinnipeg
