(Neb.)-State Patrol Eye In The Sky This Week

(Neb.)-State Patrol Eye In The Sky This Week
By: Dennis and Kathi Brown Posted at: 08/20/2009 07:44 AM

(Lincoln, Nebraska)-The Nebraska State Patrol, will have stepped up enforcement in the area this week as part of its "100 Days of Summer Initiative."
Thursday the patrol will have its airplane flying over Cherry County, monitoring traffic and on Sunday the plane will look for speeders in Dawes County.
The initiative is designed to help the patrol keep drivers safe during the summer driving season.
(Questions, comments about this story? Email dennis@chadrad.com.)

Never understood using planes to catch speeders doesn't seem cost effective. You could set a guy on a overpass with a laser gun and have some cops down the road waiting and be just as effective. And you wouldn't have the cost to operate the airplane, pay the pilot etc.

I think it is just a scare tactic, once a year they get out the crop duster use it for week say they are using airplanes to catch speeders on the news, and try to scare people into thinking the police are always watching and circling overhead waiting for you to break the speed limit.

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Originally Posted by rocky2

Never understood using planes to catch speeders doesn't seem cost effective. You could set a guy on a overpass with a laser gun and have some cops down the road waiting and be just as effective. And you wouldn't have the cost to operate the airplane, pay the pilot etc.

I think it is just a scare tactic, once a year they get out the crop duster use it for week say they are using airplanes to catch speeders on the news, and try to scare people into thinking the police are always watching and circling overhead waiting for you to break the speed limit.

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Its cost effective. CrazyVolvoRob can prove it.

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Originally Posted by v1user

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Originally Posted by rocky2

Never understood using planes to catch speeders doesn't seem cost effective. You could set a guy on a overpass with a laser gun and have some cops down the road waiting and be just as effective. And you wouldn't have the cost to operate the airplane, pay the pilot etc.

I think it is just a scare tactic, once a year they get out the crop duster use it for week say they are using airplanes to catch speeders on the news, and try to scare people into thinking the police are always watching and circling overhead waiting for you to break the speed limit.

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Its cost effective. CrazyVolvoRob can prove it.

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Rob, how can you prove it?

They forgot to mention Lancaster County; I saw the eye in the sky today. Left from Lincoln to Okla. City early in the morning and drove back home too before 6 pm. During the last 7 or 8 miles of the trip, I saw the black chopper making rounds above I-80 between mile markers 395 and 401. I was tempted to drive further to see where the line of chase cars was parked up ahead (usually around MM 403) but I was too tired so just took my route home. :(

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Originally Posted by StlouisX50

Rob, how can you prove it?

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Up in NH they occasionally run an aerial unit and in a 4-6 hour stint they've been known to take in $10,000-15,000. That is only 100-150 citations if they are $100 each. Over 4-6 hours that's about one every 2-5 minutes, easily achievable with 4-5 officers writing tickets, and a low window for speed. A typical cessna goes through 6-8 gph, which on the high end of the spectrum is 50 gallons, multiplied by $4-5, is $250ish..... Of course there is maintenance, pilots, paying troopers, etc. however when you run the figures you can see how it works.

Do I think it is a waste... yes most certainly, but I also think speed enforcement as a whole is as well....

Normally here they have 6 - 8 chase cars lined up at the end of a everlasting 55mph work zone. 6 to 8 chase cars constantly writing tickets and double fines because of the work zone should yield good revenues for the state.