• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Subscribe
Program Guide
Watch Live

CCX Media

Skip NavigationMenu
  • News
    • Close
        • CCX News
          • CCX News Home
          • News Stories
            • CCX Daily Newscast
          • CCX News Special Reports
          • CCX Media Schools
        • Feature Segments

          • Business Matters
          • School Spotlight
          • Standout Student
          • Weekend Showcase
          • Newsmakers
        • News Tip

          Send us a story idea or news tip!
          Facebook Instagram Twitter
          Watch Live
          CCX1 | CCX2 | CCX3
        • Apple News
    • Close
  • Sports
    • Close
        • CCX Sports
          • CCX Sports Home
          • Sports Tips
          • Hall of Fame
          • Upcoming Event Coverage
          • Play of the Week
        • Sports Coverage

          Adapted SportsAdditional SportsBaseballBasketballFootball
          GymnasticsHockeyLacrosseSoccerSoftball
          Swimming & DivingTennisTrack & FieldVolleyballWrestling
        • Social Media

          Facebook Twitter Instagram
          Watch Live
          CCX1 | CCX2 | CCX3
          Shop/Order
    • Close
  • Cities
    • Close
        • CCX Cities
          • CCX Cities Home
          • The Connection
          • In The Community
          • Our Town’s Story
          • Community Resources
          • CCX Media Schools
          • City Meetings
        • Your City

          Brooklyn Center Local News and Events
          Brooklyn Park MN Local News and Events
          Crystal
          Golden Valley
          Maple Grove
          New Hope
          Osseo
          Plymouth
          Robbinsdale
        • Social Media

          Facebook Twitter
          Watch Live
          CCX1 | CCX2 | CCX3
    • Close
  • Create
    • Close
        • CCX Create
          • CCX Create Home
          • Channels
          • Resources
          • Meet The Create Team
          • CCX Create Virtual Tour
        • Get Creative

          • Make Your Own Show
          • Free Classes
          • Contact Us
          • Polka Spotlight
          • Diversity Minute
        • RueShare

          • Member Login
          • Member Guide
        • Social Media

          Facebook Twitter Instagram
          Watch Live
          CCX1 | CCX2 | CCX3
    • Close
  • Subscribe
  • Program guide
  • Watch Live

Policing in a Pandemic (Part 2): Fewer Cars, More Speeders

1:50 PM | Tuesday, April 28, 2020

In Policing in a Pandemic (part 2), local police chiefs and the Minnesota State Patrol share how they keep roads safe with fewer cars and reports of increased speeds.

An Uptick in Speeding?

According to the State Patrol, there is an uptick in speeding and they have a simple message to everyone: slow down.

“We are seeing an excess of speeders,” said Lt. Gordon Shank from the State Patrol. “So there is an increase. We’ve seen speeders in the triple digits, going over 100 mph. We have seen that as troopers. Troopers have relayed that back to me. They said, ‘hey we’re seeing people that are speeding more than they normally would.’ We’re out there stopping them.”

“Anecdotally I have heard that Highway 100 is a NASCAR track,” said Crystal Deputy Police Chief Brian Hubbard. “We don’t spend a lot of time on Highway 100, but I’ve just heard that anecdotally from folks. The first few weeks that this all started and we were all getting our bearings on this, the streets were pretty desolate. Now that we are starting to work towards that new normal, you’re seeing more people being out, finding more things to do. I think when the cars were gone they were probably going faster because you didn’t have to dodge traffic.”

Osseo officers have also seen speeding increase.

“Yeah we have,” said Osseo Police Chief Shane Mikkelson. “Mostly on 93rd and County Road 81 is where we’re seeing most of our speeding issues. We normally see those speeding issues, we don’t see it in our neighborhoods – especially now. We have so many people out on foot walking around and getting exercise.”

Meanwhile in Brooklyn Park, the roads are not turning into race tracks. So far officers have not seen a rise in speeding.

“Not really hearing it,” said Brooklyn Park Deputy Police Chief Mark Bruley. “I think anecdotally we see people doing things on the roadway. I can’t say that we have the data that supports it, but it certainly maybe feels that way.”

In a pandemic do officers ignore minor infractions?

“I don’t know if we’re easing up,” Bruley said. “But we always encourage our police officers to use discretion when they choose to write a citation or make an arrest. There are exceptions to that like domestics and those crimes that they don’t have discretion. But the vast majority, especially traffic enforcement, they have discretion. We really ask them to look at what you’re trying to do. Is it appropriate to enforce?”

“Typically, no we’re still doing our public safety duty,” Mikkelson said. “Our officers have been instructed to continue on as they would, to just be safer. Use their social distancing.”

“For us, we’ve told our officers to continue to do police work and do it safely,” Hubbard said. “Are people still speeding, are people still driving poorly, are people still stealing? All of these things are still happening and I think the community has an expectation that we will rise to the challenge and address those things.” 

Bottom line is, officers are still enforcing the law with some flexibility. Even though the roadways don’t have nearly as much traffic as normal, it’s not smart to speed excessively.

Brooklyn Park | Crystal | Osseo

CCX News Special Reports

Related Stories

Local Teachers Among Candidates for Minnesota Teacher of the Year:  Ten local teachers have been named… Read More
Robbinsdale Schools Plans Empty Bowls Fundraiser for March 7:  The Robbinsdale School District Empty… Read More
Newsmakers: Rep. Frazier Discusses ‘Restore the Vote,’ Public Safety Bill:  Rep. Cedrick… Read More
Joy Bodin Named President of Hennepin Technical College:  Hennepin Technical College's interim… Read More
Champlin Park’s Cody Cramer Leads with ‘Steady, Calm’ Approach:  As the old saying goes,… Read More
Brooklyn Park Hair Salon, Customers Express Support for CROWN Act:  Legislation is on its way to… Read More

Footer

NAVIGATE

  • CCX Media
  • NEWS
  • SPORTS
  • CITIES
  • CREATE
  • Job Opportunities
  • Meet the CCX Media Team
  • ABOUT CCX MEDIA
  • Annual Programming Reports
  • CABLE COMMISSION

SUBSCRIBE

Get email updates for daily story previews. “Week in Review” video links, and programming previews.

Subscribe Today

CONNECT

HAVE A NEWS TIP? CALL OUR TIPLINE AT:  763-533-1710
Send us story ideas and comments!
Get in touch with us
               
 NEWS   SPORTS
 SHOP/ORDER

LOCATION

CCX Media
6900 Winnetka Avenue North
Brooklyn Park, MN 55428

Main Phone:  763-533-8196

CCX Media serves the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota, including Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Golden Valley, Maple Grove, New Hope, Osseo, Plymouth and Robbinsdale.
Copyright © 2023 CCXMedia | All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Accessibility Statement
Web Design and Development by CEL Marketing PR Design and BizzyWeb | Log in