In case you didn’t know, last week was National Police Week, so that obviously warranted another ride along with JSO, this time in the Traffic Unit:
Truthfully, I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this ride along but I was surprised at how active it is!
Thanks to Officer Gaulding, I learned a lot too:
- Radar guns are NOT easy to use! 😅 Though I’m sure with more practice it wouldn’t take me 30 minutes to finally get a car’s speed!
- People believe that radar guns can’t be used in the rain...that is incorrect! They have features that help the gun operate aside from drawbacks like rain.
- Emergency vehicles like fire trucks CAN still get pulled over for speeding.
- Make sure you check your rear tires! Lots of accidents happen because cars depend on their rear tires to stay in line and drivers don’t realize they’re wearing down too low.
- Being a cop is more about mental than physical training. If you can mentally prepare yourself for what you’re about to see/encounter, you’ll handle the situation better.
That’s only touching the surface of all the things learned by becoming a traffic cop for a few hours!
One thing Officer Gaulding and I spoke a lot about is motorcycles and how the accident rate is increasing for riders.
If you or someone you know rides a motorcycle, consider JSO’s S.M.A.R.T program which is a FREE initiative that provides hands-on training taught by JSO Motor Unit officers to help riders prevent crashes and improve their handling abilities.