Duluth PD Resumes Radar Gun, Laser Use

Slow down! Duluth Police have resumed use of radar guns and laser to track and catch speeders.

The Duluth Police Department was notified about 5:30 p.m. last Friday (March 2) that a necessary letter had been obtained from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs and that the city’s permit to use the devices had been dropped in the mail by the state, according to Duluth Police Chief Randy Belcher. Permits for other cities in Gwinnett County also were reportedly mailed, he said.

Duluth PD was advised it could start using radar guns and laser because its permit was enroute, Belcher said. The devices were put back in operation in Duluth shortly after 5:30 p.m. Friday, he said.

Duluth Police use both radar guns and laser, but mostly laser, Belcher said.

Gwinnett Police and most city police departments in the county had not been able to use radar guns and laser after their permits expired Dec. 31, 2010, until an agreement was reached between the county and cities on a Service Delivery Strategy. That agreement was signed in early February 2012, and police departments that already had submitted their paperwork to the state had been awaiting word.

Although Duluth Police have been accused in the past of operating a speed trap, Belcher said, using radar guns and laser to stop speeders keeps the city streets and the whole community safer.

“I can’t tell you how many times citizens have stopped me and asked me when we were getting radar back,” the chief said, “because people (drivers) were flying up and down the street.” Stopping and ticketing speeders helps prevent traffic accidents, he said.

When Duluth Police stop speeders, Belcher said, they often discover other crimes that have been committed and apprehend wanted criminals as the result of background checks.