The Mountlake Terrace Police Department received a $5,000 grant in October to help reduce speeding violations near school zones and other areas.
Sgt. Eugene Shin explained that Target Zero Team Program Manager Stacey McShane wanted to conduct speed-emphasis patrols with participating agencies, such as Mountlake Terrace. He requested $5,000 for the department to participate.
Target Zero is a plan created by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to reduce the number of traffic deaths and injuries in Washington to zero by 2030. It also serves as the state’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan. Members of Target Zero and participating police departments and officers make up the Target Zero Team (TZT).
“Using the grant funds, Mountlake Terrace police officers who actively participate in the TZT program will dedicate their efforts to look for speed and school zone violations to keep our community safer,” Shin said.
Cmdr. Mike Haynes said that the department has been a partner with of TZT for decades. Sgt Shin has been active in emphasis patrols for years and recently took on the responsibility of department liaison.
In addition to participating in the emphasis patrols, Shin works with TZT to acquire grant funding, plan patrols and schedule personnel, Haynes said. Further, he was recently awarded the Target Zero Team Officer of the Year.
“His work has been very complimentary to achieving our goal of keeping our roadways safe,” Haynes said.
The police department reports that the average speeder in Mountlake Terrace travels 10-15 miles per hour over the speed limit and that the average violation stop takes 10 minutes.
“It would absolutely be more time-efficient to go the speed limit,” Haynes said. “The gamble may pay off initially, but eventually, the law of averages becomes a factor.”
— By Rick Sinnett
I hope this makes things better. People take 58th Ave W north from 236th to avoid the lights on 56th. They speed up the street and run the stop sign right by THE POLICE STATION! Some don’t even slow down. I think some people consider it a challenge to see how fast they can go between the stop signs at 232nd and 230th if they even stop at all. I’ve only seen one person ever get pulled over. I see people on 230th crossing 58th without even slowing down at the stop sign. It’s a disaster just waiting to happen. We need to start putting roundabouts in Mountlake Terrace, especially at 58th and 220th.