Houlton police say detail helped cut down speeding

HOULTON – Police are seeing evidence that a grant obtained earlier this summer has caused some drivers to cut down on their tendency to put pedal to the metal, the police chief said Thursday.

In July, the Police Department stepped up its speeding enforcement after securing a $1,900 grant from the state Department of Public Safety’s Bureau of Highway Safety. The money was used by the department to pay for extra personnel to watch for speeding motorists.

Officers were out on the streets for the duration of the grant, working details at various times. The grant lasted through September, and all of the town’s streets and roads were targeted.

Chief Butch Asselin said he has seen and heard that the extra enforcement had an impact.

“I haven’t tallied up the numbers yet to see how many tickets and warnings we did give out, but I feel the enforcement detail went very well,” he noted. “I have noticed a change in people’s driving habits, and I’ve heard from a number of people out on the streets who have told me that they believe motorists have been slowing down as well.”

News of the grant came at a time when police were hearing from an increasing number of residents who expressed concern about speeders.

While Asselin used existing manpower to carry out a campaign to target those disregarding the speed limit, the department didn’t have the money in its budget to put more officers on duty to specifically target speeders.

The grant alleviated the problem, and Asselin said he plans to apply for additional money next year.