Previous Story
DPS: No problems for officers at intersections
|
Posted on Aug 18 2008
Department of Public Safety Police Division director Lawrence Camacho said officers responded well to power outages Sunday, the first day the department stationed officers at four intersections without power.
“We handled it pretty good. We’re always busy. All the officers picked up the slack,” Camacho said.
Officers were dispatched to the intersection at Garapan and Middle Road near the Happy Market; the intersection on Middle Road near the Commonwealth Hospital Center; the intersection near the Microl Corp. in San Jose; and the intersection near Chalan Kiya Village and the Mobil Station.
Acting DPS Commissioner Santiago F. Tudela said he decided to station officers at the intersections after the public began contacting the department.
Lawrence said officers worked with the planned outage schedule provided by the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. for Sunday.
The schedule was fairly accurate, he said.
“Give or take five to six minutes, guys went out to traffic lights as per their faxed schedule,” Camacho added.
It’ll continue to be difficult for the department to send officers out to the intersections, he said. Officers will continue to patrol intersections until the new Aggreko generators provide 24-hour power, hopefully starting Sept. 16.
“It’s tough,” Camacho said. “We’re minimized. We’re just covering. I always tell them to just hang tight.”
Officers will not be sent out at night or when it is raining because it is too dangerous, Tudela said.
“We value the officer’s life first and foremost,” he added.
When no officer is present, motorists need to follow basic laws and extend courtesy to other drivers, Tudela said.
The first vehicle to stop at the intersection has the right of way, Tudela said, and when two cars arrive at the same time, the car on the right goes first.
DPS will soon be publishing information on the four-way stop rule, Tudela said.
“We’re going to have that out as soon as possible, to educate the public on the rule of the four-way stop,” he said.
