Police Put Drivers on Alert

Editor,

Beginning Feb. 1, the Gentry Police Department will begin a month-long enforcement action around city intersections and parking lots near those intersections.

The purpose of the stepped-up enforcement action is due to multiple citizen complaints about drivers cutting through private and semi-private lots along Arkansas Highways 12 and 59 to avoid traffic controls at the intersections, and often in an unsafe manner or at an unsafe speed. There have also been multiple complaints of drivers failing to stop at stop signs and at stop lights as well, including the four-way stop near city hall and stop signs along Arkansas Highway 12. Numerous complaints have been received of drivers using the shoulder of the roadway on south-bound Highway 59 at its intersection with Highway 12 to make illegal right-hand turns.

These driving violations, as reported, have resulted in many narrow-misses. As a result, police officers will step up enforcement at these locations throughout the month of February. Drivers violating these and other traffic laws may face being cited by officers.

Our goal in this enforcement action is not to issue citations, but to educate the driving public and make them more aware of the dangers involved.

However, citations may be issued, depending on the severity of the specific offenses as they occur.

This message is being put out as a general notice to drivers and as a courtesy from the police department.

Keith Smith

Chief of Police

Gentry Police Department

General News on 01/29/2014