Beth Bliss, News Editor

Drivers in violation of the campus-wide speed limit of 25 miles per hour may soon face speeding tickets from Appalachian State University police officers, according to University Police Captain Larry Foster.

Five University Police officers recently received certification as radar operators, and several university streets will be monitored in the near future, said Foster.

Foster said radar and qualified personnel have been accessible for several years, but the department has never followed through with plans to use it.

Recent approval from Vice Chancellor of Business Affairs Jane Helm gave officers the final initiative to begin using the radar equipment.

Continuous reports of dangerous conditions make Rivers Street a prime spot for police cars.

Foster said, “With the amount of foot traffic on Rivers Street, it’s dangerous to speed.”

“One of the major (concerns) is safety for walking students,” he said.

Cars equipped with radar detectors will also be used on other university streets, because the problem is not exclusive to Rivers Street, said Foster.

“It’s always been a problem,” he said.

“Twenty-five miles per hour is a hard speed limit to maintain. It’s been a problem ever since they put the speed limit at 25,” said Foster.

Foster said the university-wide speed limit has not changed over the course of his 25 years of service with Appalachian.

Students caught speeding should not expect a light fine from the university.

Rather, citations will be issued in accordance with North Carolina state law. “We don’t set the rules and regulations,” Foster said.

Foster explained that drivers caught speeding on university roads face the same fines as those clocked by  state troopers.

Offenders will be asked to pay the ticket or may follow proper appeal procedures.

Radar detection is not aimed solely at students.

Foster said any motorist breaking the speed limit will be stopped and issued a citation.

Foster could not give an exact date for project implementation, but said radar-equipped officers are definitely in the university’s near future and that all drivers should be cautious when on university roads.

Foster did not know if university roads would be continuously monitored or if the University Police Department would perform periodic checks on the area.

It is probable that University Police officers will be assinged to radar duty as needed, he said.

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