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SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. — The city’s of South Kingstown’s new chief of police says he want to take a web page from his time with the Rhode Island State Police and type a unit devoted to visitors enforcement points.
The thought was considered one of a number of that surfaced throughout a public discussion board Nov. 3 on visitors points in South Kingstown.
The discussion board, additionally streamed stay on Fb, was an opportunity for police to listen to from individuals who stay, work and play right here what their issues are — from rushing and one-way violations to parking points through the summer season.
“As a division, we wish to hear from the neighborhood,” Chief of Police Matthew Moynihan mentioned. “We are able to’t be in every single place and see the whole lot, so it’s vital we get suggestions and reply to issues.”
Towards the tip of his 24 yr profession with the Rhode Island State Police, Moynihan established a visitors security unit in 2019, giving troopers on the varied barracks all through the state accountability for making visitors enforcement their sole precedence.
“That was distinctive to the state police,” he mentioned. 5 troopers inside the unit had statewide jurisdiction to focus their work on catching drunken and distracted or reckless drivers, speeders and different visitors violators on the roads.
Lots of these strategies are ones Moynihan hopes to utilize regionally.
“We all know we now have a visitors downside on the town,” he mentioned. “We might at all times do higher. With the legalization of marijuana we’re going to see an entire new space with impaired driving, that we now have to actually be sure that our officers have the instruments essential to implement people who’re getting behind the wheel whereas they’re impaired.”
He additionally serves as co-chairman of the State Site visitors Fee, listening to about issues on state roads.
“Already we’ve introduced a number of issues to the fee which can be being studied or have been corrected,” he mentioned.
South Kingstown has 28 officers assigned to patrol over three shifts per day.
“That’s actually not that many in any respect,” Moynihan mentioned. The division’s officers responded to 44,000 requires service in 2021. It dealt with 4,100 visitors calls since Jan. 1.
A part of what makes the city distinctive is its relationship with the College of Rhode Island.
Moynihan mentioned he’s met with URI’s chief of police, and that South Kingstown will likely be “in lockstep” with the college’s division.
The chief additionally mentioned he’s working intently with the Rhode Island Division of Transportation, particularly on securing grant cash for visitors security initiatives. The division already receives grants for enforcement of rushing, distracted driving and different issues.
The division is also exploring adjustments to its work schedule, shifting from a three-shift schedule to 2 shifts. That might permit a neighborhood unit devoted to visitors enforcement, Moynihan mentioned.
An alternative choice is utilizing unmarked vehicles at velocity traps as an alternative of the acquainted black and white patrol vehicles.
“We wish to combine it up, it’s not being sneaky,” he mentioned. Bike patrol is yet one more software the police might use.
The division is also having a look at rising its use of signage, as many individuals have requested.
“That’s all schooling,” Moynihan mentioned. “The radar indicators which can be digital, that flash your velocity — we now have a number of right here — they’re an excellent software. The pure response folks have once they see that’s to step on the brake. If it makes them suppose for only a minute it’s going to assist us with schooling and reducing the speeds.”
Patrons of the Kingston Free Library informed Moynihan of points round crosswalks on the heavily-traveled Higher Faculty Street. They mentioned they’d wish to see the crosswalk on he street between the library and a small parking space throughout the road restored. It was eliminated when the street was rebuilt final yr.
Moynihan mentioned that as a result of it’s a state street on the College of Rhode Island, the matter would in all probability come earlier than the State Site visitors Fee.
Different attendees mentioned out-of-state motorists want extra consciousness concerning the left-side exits onto Route 1, vehicles using down a one-way stretch of Outdated North Street and speeders on Submit Street in Perryville.
Moynihan mentioned for the latter, the division plans to have a look at the way it deploys its patrols at sure instances of yr, resembling summer season, and instituting a seaside patrol. The city additionally might look to rent younger folks resembling college students to be neighborhood law enforcement officials, a tactic he used successfully whereas chief on Block Island.
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