Traffic Officers Turning To Lasers
Modesto and Riverbank, Calif., police officers are now using laser speed guns to measure the speed of cars on the road. The technology used in the laser speed guns is called lidar, which stands for light detection and ranging.
The laser gun emits a narrow beam of light that officers can point at specific vehicles, while radar guns, on the other hand, emit radio waves that cast wide beams. Either device provides evidence that is admissible in court, said Mike Glinskas, a Stanislaus County sheriff’s deputy assigned to Riverbank Police Services, who uses the laser gun on a daily basis.
The department purchased three ProLaser guns from Kustom Signals for between $2,500 and $3,000 each.
Lt. Dan Inderbitzen of the Modesto police reports that his officers are enforcing traffic laws with both the laser and radar guns, although they favor the former.
However, Rich Parman of the California Highway Patrol’s Modesto branch says radar guns are favored by CHP officers because they are traveling, while laser gun users must remain stationary.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Modesto Bee (03/17/03) P. B1; Farnsworth, Daryl.
