Pacific Grove monitors speeders using high-tech tool

They can see you, before you can see them. We’re talking about some high tech tools local law enforcement are using to keep people from speeding.
We found out why residents in Pacific Grove said traffic enforcement is one of it’s top priorities.

The Pacific Grove Police Department said a lot of drivers are from out-of-town and sometimes they don’t realize the speed limits are so low. So they’re using a special tool called Lidar, to detect speeds before the driver even sees the officer.

“You actually have to test its ability to measure things from a stationery point,” said Pacific Grove Sergeant Carl Lafata.

Sgt. Lafata said before each shift, Lidar is tested at the department. He said last fall residents voiced their concerns about traffic and speeding in a survey, ranking it neck and neck with property crime.

“So the public demanded, literally demanded in this survey greater traffic enforcement, more focus on traffic because they saw it as a quality of life issue,” said Sgt. Lafata.

So we rode along with Sgt. Lafata to see how the department uses traditional radar and Lidar to monitor the streets. He said Lidar’s capability is more precise than radar. It can be used to get a speed measurement about 1/3 of a mile away.

“We don’t have street lights and some of the things that would make pedestrian traffic and bicyclist traffic a little bit safer because of the layout and geography of the town,” said Sgt. Lafata.

Sgt. Lafata pulled over two drivers for speeding, among other violations. Both drivers got warnings this time. He said it pays to own up to your mistakes.

“To be honest with you that’s something that we don’t really get very often in this line of work, so I do like to reward that,” said Sgt. Lafata.

If Lidar isn’t working correctly, Sgt. Lafata said any citations written during its use are thrown out.

“All the technology all of the training we go through is based on, you know having to answer questions in a court of law,” said Sgt. Lafata.

Lidar is also used by multiple other agencies on the Central Coast, including CHP. A recent article, the American Civil Liberties Union states it’s concerned about Lidars’ potential to be used for surveillance, but doesn’t mention that concern in relation to law enforcement.