As part of Columbia Police Chief Jerry Paul’s quest to increase traffic safety along the Route 3 corridor, he announced several steps he intends to take toward that end during a Columbia City Council committee meeting Monday night.
Paul is asking the city council to add funds to the fiscal year 2018-19 budget to allow the department to hire a 17th police officer for the city, which will be a dedicated traffic officer for Route 3 enforcement. The Committee of the Whole heard Paul’s request Monday night and the full city council will vote on the budget during its April 15 meeting.
“I think we can change the behavior and that’s what I’d like to do with the 17th officer,” Paul told council members.
“I envision at some point in the future we would be able to pull that officer off and maybe onto Gall Road, Columbia Lakes Drive, out in the different wards where we have problems,” Paul added.
Taking into consideration comments on the “Citizens Demanding Change on Illinois Route 3, Columbia, Illinois” group Facebook page and concerns identified by city and police officials, Paul also has a list of seven action items he will submit to the Illinois Department of Transportation for improved Route 3 safety…>>>
Read the rest of this article in the April 11, 2018, issue of the Republic-Times newspaper.
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