Tuesday, October 24, 2006

The Hayward Police Department received a grant that will use to purchase the latest high-tech equipment used nationwide to combat reckless motorists.
This funding will be used to purchase laser speed-tracking guns (radar guns). The department has been using laser guns since the mid-1990s and is very pleased with the results, so want to double the quantity. The Police Department has been making greater use of the laser gun technology because it provides more accurate readings when identifying speeding drivers. The laser guns are very similar to radar guns, only they use a technology called "lidar". This system provides information for more accurate reading of a motorist's speed. Standard radar guns emit radio waves that cover a larger area, often resulting in a driver challenging speeding tickets because it's difficult to determine whether the radar gun has registered the speed of the correct vehicle or not. Along with displaying the speed and the direction of the vehicle, the laser also provides an audible indicator that informs the officer which direction the speeding vehicle is traveling. But the police officers will also continue to use radar gunswhile in the field, because it’s the only speed-tracking device that can be used in the situation when a patrol car is moving.