For nearly six decades, Pennsylvania has limited the use of radar to enforce speed limits to state troopers, while banning municipal police officers from doing the same, writes Michaelle Bond for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

However, more than a half-century after the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association made getting radar guns a top priority, a bill by State Rep. Greg Rothman that would allow municipal police to use them is gaining traction in the legislature.

Still, the long-standing objections, such as police using radar in speed traps to make money, are still being raised by opponents. Meanwhile, supporters argue that giving local police radar will slow down drivers and help save lives.

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According to Scott Bohn, West Chester Borough’s police chief and president of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, using radar would be a huge benefit.

“There’s a daily request for traffic assessments and studies and speed enforcement on our roadways,” he said.

Police note that radar guns remove the human error that can occur with other methods. They also allow officers to identify speeding drivers without having to set up traps and leave expensive equipment unattended.

Read more about Pennsylvania’s limited use of radar in catching speeders in the Philadelphia Inquirer here.

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