Buffalo police are issuing a lot of speeding tickets after Common Council members complained there wasn't enough being done to nail speeders and those who run stop signs. Police Lieutenant Jeff Rinaldo spoke at the Legislation Committee Tuesday and said the department has special traffic units in all five districts and they are issuing thousands of tickets.
In the first six months of the year, Buffalo police issued more than 24,000 tickets for speeding and running stop signs, up more than 3,000 from the first six months of last year.
Councilmember David Franczyk initially pushed for a crackdown because of the death of a seven-month-old on Moselle St. The infant was killed when her stroller was run down because her mother and aunt were on the street because of broken sidewalks. The city is looking at that sidewalk issue, also.
"There was a remark made that the Council wants to "criminalize" people on Moselle Street. The person that is speeding, 40-50 miles an hour and beyond on any city street where the city speed limit is 30, they are going 40-50 miles an hour. You have chosen yourself to put people's lives in danger," Franczyk said.
Franczyk says he has seen police ticketing on Moselle. Other council members say they want more traffic officers in their districts because constituents complain constantly about speed on both main street and side streets.
"There are cars racing up the street. They aren't doing 35-40 [mph], they're doing 50. So, this detail is definitely needed. I don't care about the number of tickets that they write. Because it's a safety issue in the communities," said Councilman Rasheed Wyatt.
Wyatt says he and Franczyk met last Friday with Police Commissioner Daniel Derenda about speeding and were told there would be additional summer traffic details. In the past, Council members have pushed, without success, for a lower speed limit on side streets.
