Newspaper Page Text
The Champion, Thursday, July 2 - 8, 2015
OPINION
Page 5A
Signs. Signs. Everywhere signs.
I spend an unusually large
amount of time on Atlanta’s
roadways and more specifi
cally on 1-285 through much of
DeKalb County. Much of this
time, regrettably, is spent at a
slow pace and often sitting still.
For the last several months
there have been traffic delays
caused by resurfacing and sign
changes all along Atlanta’s pe
rimeter, but I have been more
painfully aware of these chang
es in the sections of 1-285 that
are in DeKalb.
In October 2014, the much
touted-and just as often ma
ligned-variable speed limit
signs were installed at about
the same time the speed limit
was increased to 65 mph in
certain sections of the perim
eter. These variable speed signs
were supposed help traffic flow
and help drivers anticipate
slower traffic in advance of ac
tually encountering it.
Shortly after the variable
speed signs were installed,
there was much discussion and
many jokes about the obvious
programming errors of the
signs. It was not, and still is
not, uncommon to see a sign
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Chief Operating Officer
illuminating a speed limit of
5 mph on one side of the road
and another showing a speed
limit of 65 mph directly across
from it. As with most govern
ment projects, we as taxpayers
don’t really expect optimum
performance or efficiency. We
collectively shake our heads in
disbelief and continue our usu
ally painful commutes.
Beginning a few months
ago, drivers on 1-285 were
faced with daily delays as new,
larger directional signs were
installed. The newer signs are
easier to read and will be help
ful for those using our highway
system who are not familiar
with routes. The irony of this
is that the new signs have been
up for at least a month, and
the old signs are still in place.
In most locations the old signs
obscure the views of the new
signs and actually create what
would seem to be even more
confusion.
The latest additions to the
cluttered signscape along 1-285
are mile markers; not the older
mile markers that simply indi
cate the total miles in a clock
wise direction from the official
starting point at 1-85 just south
of the airport—but new mile
markers mounted on the me
dian wall that indicate every
one-tenth of a mile.
For the life of me, I can’t
quite grasp the importance of
having signs to indicate every
one-tenth of a mile along a
highway system; particularly
when old-school mile mark
ers are already in place on the
shoulder of the road. They just
aren’t as precise as the one-
tenth markers.
As I drove in recently, I
wondering about the cost asso
ciated with the one-tenth mile
markers. The total distance of
1-285 is 64 miles; therefore,
there are 640 markers on each
side of the highway (the signs
are mounted back to back on a
single pole), making the grand
total of 1,280 markers along
the route.
At a conservative estimated
cost of say $30 per sign, the
cost of producing and printing
the signs would total $38,400.
And, with another conserva
tive estimated cost of say $25
to install each sign, the total
for production and installation
would come to $70,400.
With the above price es
timates applied to the total
number of miles on 1-285,
taxpayers have paid $110 per
one-tenth of a mile.
What benefit could these
signs possibly have? I have two
theories.
One theory is that a friend
or family member of a pro
curement officer for the Geor
gia Department of Transpor
tation runs, or sells on com
mission for, a sign business.
Another possible theory is that
perhaps the production of the
signs is a way of keeping pris
oners in state institutions en
gaged in productive activities.
Knowing the way most gov
ernment purchases work, my
bet is that someone is profiting
mightily on all these new signs
we are suddenly seeing, and it
doesn’t make much sense.
I believe that there is a high
probability of at least one oc
cupant in almost every car on
Atlanta’s roads having a smart
phone with navigation, and
there are also many cars with
built-in navigation systems and
that in reality, the driving pub
lic could probably function just
as well with fewer signs clutter
ing our roads and distracting
drivers.
The next time I’m sitting
still on 1-285, I’ll attempt to tag
my location on social media
to see if all these one-tenth of
a mile markers are recognized
and so my family and friends
will know within one-tenth of
a mile where I am at any given
time.
ONE MAN'S OPINION
Smile...You’re on Candid Camera
“Were all going to end up
with cameras. It’s going to be
just as common in years to
come as having your sidearm.”
-DeKalb County Public Safety
Director Cedric Alexander, as
first reported by The Atlanta
Journal & Constitution, May
27.
Though most of you may
not admit it, I’m sure that you
have caught, at least once, a
few moments of the reality TV
show Cops. If you are like me,
you have perhaps also won
dered, where they find these
people? The guest-dysfunction,
screening lobby of the old Jerry
Springer Show? But Cops has
been on the air now since 1988,
and just as folks rubber-neck
an accident on the interstates,
people are going to watch.
In response to the national
discussion about increasing the
accountability and transpar
ency of police work, following
a growing number of instances
where the sometimes lethal use
of force is in question or under
legal review, police body cam
eras are expected to become
as universal a policing tool as
the side arm, night stick, or
Taser in the not-too-distant fu
ture. Several recent surveys on
the subject put public support
of the use and implementation
of body cameras in beat polic-
bill.csicrane@gmail.com
Columnist
ing at more than 90 percent.
A few years back, red light
cameras were all the rage to
improve traffic violation polic
ing, while freeing up officers
for other duties until too many
municipalities turned those
cameras into primary revenue
streams, and drivers began to
realize that a rear-tag aimed
camera doesn’t always also
capture a light going from
amber to red while a vehicle is
mid-intersection. Strong pub
lic push-back caused many of
those cameras to be surplused
or removed though they re
main in active use in many cit
ies across the state.
Several municipal police
departments, including Chat
tahoochee Hills (south Fulton
County), Powder Springs
(Cobb County), Valdosta, De
catur and Athens, already have
body cameras in use, and sev
eral larger countywide police
departments, including Clay
ton, Cobb, DeKalb and Gwin
nett, have already committed
to their use.
“It’s a major step for
ward. There’s a lot of second-
guessing of law enforcement
and public accusations of
excessive use of force and im
proprieties. This will help put
back the public confidence,”
said Frank Rotondo, executive
director of the Georgia Asso
ciation of Chiefs of Police.
Under current Georgia law,
body camera footage will be
open for public review, though
the lines are a little blurry, and
although dashboard cameras
have long been in use, police
agencies often withhold foot
age under the guise and label
of “ongoing investigation.”
However, police and sheriff
deputies often encounter the
public at their worst, respond
ing to domestic disputes, hor
rific auto accidents and even
instances intended for celebra
tion, gone awry.
“Body cameras for law en
forcement personnel are a solid
tool. But just as with SWAT
team equipment, we don’t send
that out on every call. Geor
gia sheriffs like the ability of
cameras to accurately reflect
arrests and crime scenes, and
their officers at work, but they
also have significant concerns
about privacy and unrestricted
public access to the digital
footage,” added Terry Norris,
executive director of the Geor
gia Sheriffs’ Association.
The city of Atlanta esti
mates arming its sworn officers
with cameras will run nearly
$2 million for the equipment,
with data storage costs running
nearly $1 million per year. And
as with most new technology,
the law is playing catch-up,
literally. Senate Bill 94, which
went into effect on July 1, al
lows law enforcement body
cameras into private dwellings,
without first requesting per
mission.
So given the proliferation of
Mug Shot websites like Bust-
edlocals.com, you may soon
expect police body camera
videos on YouTube and else
where, exposing both the more
mundane and routine nature of
police work, as well as some of
the most unguarded and unat
tractive life moments of the
public.
The most effective cameras
are worn at eye level, often
attached to glasses, mimick
ing the officer’s field of view,
but with a variety of camera
mounting options available, as
well as the realities of physics,
the police cameras don’t have
peripheral vision, cannot turn,
zoom or change their view
point and do not see behind
the officer.
Unfortunately, noting the
many pros and cons, these
cameras are coming and fast.
The challenge may be for our
state, as well as local prosecu
tors, district attorneys, sheriffs
and police departments to
move quickly enough to de
velop new laws and protocols,
which further enhance pro
tection of the public without
giving away the down-blouse
footage of every highway cop
stop.
But either way it goes, be
prepared to smile as if you are
getting a new driver’s license,
as sooner than later, you’ll be
on Candid Camera.
Bill Crane also serves as
a political analyst and com
mentator for Channel 2’s Action
News, WSB-AM News/Talk
750 and now 95.5 FM, as well
as a columnist for The Cham
pion, Champion Free Press
and Georgia Trend. Crane is
a DeKalb native and business
owner, living in Scottdale. You
can reach him or comment on a
column at bill.csicrane@gmail.
com.