Editor, Manteca Bulletin,

South Powers Avenue is - and always has been - a haven for speeders who fly through the intersection of Marin Street and South Powers.

 I have personally spoken with Police Chief Dave Bricker concerning this issue. I have asked Chief Bricker about getting a police officer to monitor this issue to nab these speeders before someone is killed. His response was “manpower.” I have also spoken with Mayor Willie Weatherford and Councilman Steve DeBrum, but this fell on “deaf ears.” That was to be expected. I find it hard to believe that you can get an army of police officers to monitor the Pumpkin Festival, the Fourth of July Parade, the Christmas Parade, police officers watching football games when the three high schools are in their football season. But you can’t get one officer to monitor these speeders. The ideal time would be from 7 to 7:20 a.m., a mere twenty minutes; is this asking too much for police safety?

With Chief Bricker retiring maybe the next police chief will show some concern when a citizen, who is a taxpayer, and a 60 year resident of our fair city, some respect and get an officer monitoring this intersection in the early hours of the morning 7 to 7:20, one or two days a week. The motto on the police cars is “Duty to Serve.” Maybe they should change their motto to “Call Back Later, we are on coffee break.”

If this was an issue concerning some poor homeless person sleeping in a park there would be a half dozen cops there harassing them. City staff and our “good ole boy council” always say this is the “Family City.” Let’s protect the citizens of our city and get these speeders.

Fred Millner
Manteca
Nov. 17, 2011