The Ripon Police Department is looking at plans to assign one patrol officer to serve as a full-time motor officer.

That’s for the near future, according to Police Chief Danny Sauer.

He explained at the Nov. 10 Ripon City Council meeting that this decision is being made in response to the increasing vehicular traffic and hazardous moving violations. “It would be a wise allocation of resources,” Sauer added.

The motor officer would also focus on those violating the rules of the road on e-bikes, motor scooters, and golf carts, along with traffic collision investigations.

“Traffic enforcement continues to be one of the most common requests from the community,” said Sauer.

He added that the motor officer would be responsible for pursuing traffic safety grants to funds needed for equipment – this includes, for example, a police motorcycle, radar trailers, DUI checkpoint resources, and other traffic-related tools.

Councilman Leo Zuber, for one, was thrilled with the plan. His concern was about golf carts.

Zuber noticed more golf carts being driven on the road and questioned whether some operating them were of legal age.

California Vehicle Code, he noted, allows golf carts on public roads but only under very limited conditions – within one mile of a golf course and only on roads with speed limits of 25 mph or less, designated by local ordinance.

Zuber, who also owned a place in another town, took notice of one such community facing similar issues on the golf cart laws.

He posed the question if Ripon should seek a new ordinance, since many of the areas where carts are being driven in town likely do not meet the state law criteria.

City Attorney Tom Terpstra Jr. is also aware of the relevant state laws on this matter at other cities.

While the state vehicle code provisions override the local ones, he added that the City of Ripon does have some flexibility to regulate that framework.

This issue could be brought back before Council at its discretion for future discussion, Terpstra said.