Ask a Cop: Does the Ambler Police Department Set Speed Traps?

Welcome to "Ask a Cop!"

Each week we plan on forwarding commonly asked questions to local law enforcement personnel, in the hopes of clarifying the law, putting to rest common misconceptions and informing the public as to what they can and cannot do.

This week, Ambler Borough Police Chief Bill Foley was kind enough to take on our first question, which deals with speeding and speed traps.

Question: Does the Ambler Borough Police Department set speed traps?

Answer: "We do what is called 'directional patrol', which encompasses everything from officers sitting on stops signs to monitoring speed," said Foley.

Chief Foley added that while officers can observe speeding or stop sign violations during the course of their regular patrol, most citations are the result of police monitoring a specific area.

Regarding which areas are monitored, Foley said they could be chosen out of prior experience and pre-existing knowledge – such as a heavily traveled road or secondary road – or an area in which public concerns have been relayed to police.

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