11-17-2007, 11:12 AM
Bad-driver dragnet, emphasis on 'drag'
A male sergeant in a dress? It's for the 'greater good'
By JOHN DAVIS
john.davis@heraldtribune.com
NORTH PORT -- Sgt. Tony Sirianni pulled on a blue dress Thursday. He did not do it to flatter his 225-pound frame.
His wife helped him pick the outfit, in which Sirianni, dressed as an admittedly ungainly woman, stood along U.S. 41 to spot red-light runners and call them in to waiting police vehicles.
"I had a lot of people really thinking I was crazy," he said. "But I was thinking of the greater good."
The dragnet in drag caught 64 scofflaws in five hours.
"We want people talking about running red lights," said Chief Terry Lewis.
Lewis admits that the get-up was "theatrical." But the 31 red-light violations and 20 warnings issued Thursday underscored how common it is for traffic signals to be ignored.
Sumter Boulevard and U.S. 41 is one of the worst in the city, with 89 crashes last year. So far this year, the number has been held down to 55.
According to police Capt. Robert Estrada, activities like Thursday's ruse have helped.
"We do this, and I think people are learning," he said.
North Port has considered traffic cameras as a way to catch red-light runners, but without a state law backing up the city's use of the devices, enforcement and imposing penalties can be difficult.
"If you don't pay the ticket, there's nothing you can really do except take them to small claims court," Estrada said.
Lewis said the department holds red-light stings a few times a year, changing disguises to keep drivers alert. So far, Sirianni has dressed as a homeless person, utility worker and, now, a woman.
"Although it's unorthodox, it's a very effective way of catching people who run red lights," Lewis said.
A male sergeant in a dress? It's for the 'greater good'
By JOHN DAVIS
john.davis@heraldtribune.com
NORTH PORT -- Sgt. Tony Sirianni pulled on a blue dress Thursday. He did not do it to flatter his 225-pound frame.
His wife helped him pick the outfit, in which Sirianni, dressed as an admittedly ungainly woman, stood along U.S. 41 to spot red-light runners and call them in to waiting police vehicles.
"I had a lot of people really thinking I was crazy," he said. "But I was thinking of the greater good."
The dragnet in drag caught 64 scofflaws in five hours.
"We want people talking about running red lights," said Chief Terry Lewis.
Lewis admits that the get-up was "theatrical." But the 31 red-light violations and 20 warnings issued Thursday underscored how common it is for traffic signals to be ignored.
Sumter Boulevard and U.S. 41 is one of the worst in the city, with 89 crashes last year. So far this year, the number has been held down to 55.
According to police Capt. Robert Estrada, activities like Thursday's ruse have helped.
"We do this, and I think people are learning," he said.
North Port has considered traffic cameras as a way to catch red-light runners, but without a state law backing up the city's use of the devices, enforcement and imposing penalties can be difficult.
"If you don't pay the ticket, there's nothing you can really do except take them to small claims court," Estrada said.
Lewis said the department holds red-light stings a few times a year, changing disguises to keep drivers alert. So far, Sirianni has dressed as a homeless person, utility worker and, now, a woman.
"Although it's unorthodox, it's a very effective way of catching people who run red lights," Lewis said.