Newtown And Redding Police Heighten Traffic Enforcement

By Andrew Gorosko

Commuters who are driving in southwestern Newtown and southeastern Redding during the morning and afternoon rush periods should expect to encounter heightened police enforcement, as Newtown and Redding police joined forces this week to control speeding and other vehicular violations in those areas.

Newtown and Redding police on Monday explained that the heightened enforcement project stems from complaints they have received from residents living along the roads in both towns that are heavily used by commuters during rush periods.

Those roads include Key Rock Road, Poverty Hollow Road, and Hopewell Road in Newtown, and Hopewell Woods Road and Newtown Turnpike in Redding. The morning rush has most traffic traveling southward, and then returning northward in the afternoon.

Newtown police Lieutenant George Sinko noted that enforcement will focus on travel speed, illegal cellphone usage, and seatbelt violations, among other problems.

Newtown Police Chief Michael Kehoe explained that Newtown and Redding police have a formal mutual aid agreement which allows the police from each town to enforce the law in both towns. Such an arrangement will allow for increased enforcement flexibility in such a traffic project, he said.

Redding Police Chief Douglas Fuchs said police will focus their enforcement on the rush periods when the affected roads are the most heavily traveled. Enforcement will include the police’s use of mobile radar, stationary radar, laser speed gauges, and marker plate readers, he said.

“All our [enforcement] tools will be in play,” said Chief Kehoe.

Newtown police will use unmarked vehicles, as well as their motorcycle patrol in the enforcement project, he said.

Enforcement efforts between the two police departments will be coordinated, he noted.