Fort Knox law enforcement officials: 'Speeding is the biggest problem we have on post'

FORT KNOX, KENTUCKY, KY, UNITED STATES

12.04.2018

Story by G. Anthonie Riis 

Fort Knox

Fort Knox law enforcement officials: 'Speeding is the biggest problem we have on post'

By G. Anthonie Riis | Fort Knox NewsDecember 4, 2018



FORT KNOX, Kentucky -- The Directorate of Emergency Services recently learned that Fort Knox law enforcement officials have issued more traffic citations per capita than any other installation in the Army.

Kevin Kusak, Fort Knox DES director, said while there may be a bit of incongruence with the number of citations issued due to a large transient population that affects traffic patterns at Fort Knox each summer, proactive law enforcement and a desire to keep people safe have been behind the numbers.

"Speeding is the biggest problem we have on post," Kusak said. "Not stopping at [stop signs and red lights] is a big one too, but speeding is the ultimate problem we run into."
Kusak said clocked speeds have typically been excessive.

"The majority of our tickets are written for speeding 10-15 miles over the limit -- unless it's egregious in a school zone," said Michael Doggett, deputy chief of police, Patrol Branch.

Speeding usually has a direct impact on the devastation level of accidents, according to Doggett, who said Fort Knox with its primary and secondary schools has too much to lose to be lax.

"It's simple: The faster you go, the less time you have to react. The vehicle has to respond to your reaction and that gets into the whole mechanics of it -- are your brakes properly [maintained]; are your tires in [good shape]? All of those things become factors that are compounded when you speed," Doggett said. "The garrison commander has directed school zone enforcement, and we [practice] a proactive effort of policing school zones … to protect our young [people] and give them a safe environment to learn and play."

Doggett said some motorists may not realize the change in speed limits at school zones during hours when children are present. However, safety is behind every decision to monitor school zones.

"During school hours, school zone speeds will drop to 15 miles an hour … for children and parents [coming and going from] the school," Doggett said. "Outside of those hours, the speed limit is 20 miles an hour.

"When we get calls that people are driving too fast, or that parents fear for their children because [drivers] aren't stopping at stop signs, we take it seriously," said Kusak.

Doggett said that writing tickets is not a contest, but is instead the result of military and civilian police officers doing their jobs.

"Traffic violations lead to traffic accidents. Not everyone survives a traffic accident, and some that do [can] have lasting physical or mental issues," Doggett said. "We protect who we care about, and we do that by adhering to the law. We don't want people at Fort Knox worrying about drivers speeding or running stop signs."

Seeing police officers shouldn't make drivers anxious, said Doggett, who hopes they feel a sense of relief, instead.

"Police officers and MP Soldiers are out there every day serving the community. They serve in [any weather] and [seldom] get to take long weekends or holidays," Doggett said. "People don't [typically] break the law when they see a cop car, so just our presence makes it a safer place.

"I tell my [officers], 'If you're sitting there and no one does anything wrong, that's great -- you've done your job.'"

• Date Taken: 12.04.2018
• Date Posted: 12.31.2018 11:45
• Story ID: 305830
• Location: FORT KNOX, KENTUCKY, KY, US