WESTBROOK–City Councilor Michel Foley said he used to get calls and e-mails from his constituents concerned about people speeding in their neighborhoods. Now, he said, he more often hears that the police are stopping too many cars.

“I’d much rather get that complaint,” he said.

Foley was one of the biggest supporters behind the creation of a traffic enforcement officer – a position added to the Westbrook Police Department two years ago. Lately, officials say, the city has gained a reputation for being a place where police are quick to hand out traffic tickets.

Last week, Police Chief Bill Baker sent a letter to the City Council and the mayor asking for their support of the police department’s ramped up effort to crack down on speeders.

Baker included data collected by a radar detector called a SpeedSpy, which the department places in different areas of the city for 24-hour periods to determine where speeding issues are worst. On East Bridge Street, Baker said, the detector clocked 97 percent of cars going over the speed limit.

“So many people assume a 5-10 mile per hour ‘enforcement cushion,’” the police chief wrote. “We have been working through our traffic officer to help people understand that 25 means 25 and 35 means 35.”

Since December, Officer Tim Morrell has been the patrolman assigned to enforce traffic laws, of which, he said, there are more than 1,000. Morrell said he’s on the lookout for everything from expired inspection stickers to cracked windshields.

“But the biggest problem we’re having right now is speeding,” he said.

Morrell uses the data from the SpeedSpy, as well as complaints made by residents about speeding in their neighborhoods, to decide where and when he will patrol certain parts of the city.

“I take traffic enforcement very seriously. I see the impact of people speeding and people going through red lights,” said Morrell, who noted that car accidents are the No. 1 killer in the country.

“We care about what we’re doing out there,” he said. “It’s kind of corny when you say it, but it’s my philosophy.”

According to Morrell, it’s no challenge to find drivers in the city who aren’t complying with traffic laws. Sitting in his unmarked cruiser on Saco Street last week, he pointed out how nearly every car that passed was going at least a few miles over the 25-mile-per-hour speed limit.

Data collected by the SpeedSpy at the end of February showed that of the 1,978 cars that traveled Saco Street in a 24-hour period, 1,805 exceeded the speed limit. On average, cars were traveling at 33 miles per hour. The fastest car that day hit 75 miles per hour.

“If you were living on Saco Street, imagine how you’d feel if you have little kids,” Morrell said. “It’s scary.”

Morrell said he stops between 20 and 30 cars a day and writes about 50 tickets per week on average. Whether he gives a warning or writes a ticket is up to him, but he often uses the driver’s record as a guide.

By typing drivers’ names or license numbers into the laptop in his cruiser, Morrell can access a slew of information on them, from where and when they’ve gotten warnings and tickets before to whether there’s a warrant out for their arrest. Often, a routine traffic stop turns into an arrest, if Morrell suspects there are drugs in the car or if the person is wanted, among other reasons.

“People say, ‘Why don’t you get real criminals instead of stopping people for speeding,’” he said.

Morrell’s response?

“I do.”

Morrell insists that he doesn’t get a rush – or a pay increase – by stopping more cars. In fact, he said, it’s hard knowing he could be causing a financial hardship for someone by handing out a ticket. That’s why, he said, a lot of officers don’t want to enforce traffic full time.

But, it’s the end result of making the community safer that Morrell said keeps him working hard to enforce the laws. And by getting the word out that Westbrook police don’t put up with speeders, ultimately, Morrell’s job could get a lot easier.

“Our goal is voluntary compliance. It’s not about writing tickets. It’s not about stopping folks,” he said.

Foley, who works as a dispatcher for the Kennebunk Police Department, said it’s always been an in-joke among public safety employees in the area that you can’t speed in Biddeford without getting caught.

“Now, I’ve heard through some people, ‘Jeez, what’s going on in Westbrook? You can’t speed through there,’” Foley said.

At a recent day in court, Morrell said, a 21-year-old woman came in with her father to contest a speeding ticket he had written her for driving 32 mph in 25 mph zone.

“He said, ‘This is ridiculous. You’re stopping people for 7 over?’” he said.

The man then, according to Morrell, suggested that signs be placed in Westbrook warning people about what the police department is doing.

“We put up warning signs everywhere,” Morrell said he told the man. “We call them speed-limit signs.”

WESTBROOK–City Councilor Michel Foley said he used to get calls and e-mails from his constituents concerned about people speeding in their neighborhoods. Now, he said, he more often hears that the police are stopping too many cars.

“I’d much rather get that complaint,” he said.

Foley was one of the biggest supporters behind the creation of a traffic enforcement officer – a position added to the Westbrook Police Department two years ago. Lately, officials say, the city has gained a reputation for being a place where police are quick to hand out traffic tickets.

Last week, Police Chief Bill Baker sent a letter to the City Council and the mayor asking for their support of the police department’s ramped up effort to crack down on speeders.

Baker included data collected by a radar detector called a SpeedSpy, which the department places in different areas of the city for 24-hour periods to determine where speeding issues are worst. On East Bridge Street, Baker said, the detector clocked 97 percent of cars going over the speed limit.

“So many people assume a 5-10 mile per hour ‘enforcement cushion,’” the police chief wrote. “We have been working through our traffic officer to help people understand that 25 means 25 and 35 means 35.”

Since December, Officer Tim Morrell has been the patrolman assigned to enforce traffic laws, of which, he said, there are more than 1,000. Morrell said he’s on the lookout for everything from expired inspection stickers to cracked windshields.

“But the biggest problem we’re having right now is speeding,” he said.

Morrell uses the data from the SpeedSpy, as well as complaints made by residents about speeding in their neighborhoods, to decide where and when he will patrol certain parts of the city.

“I take traffic enforcement very seriously. I see the impact of people speeding and people going through red lights,” said Morrell, who noted that car accidents are the No. 1 killer in the country.

“We care about what we’re doing out there,” he said. “It’s kind of corny when you say it, but it’s my philosophy.”

According to Morrell, it’s no challenge to find drivers in the city who aren’t complying with traffic laws. Sitting in his unmarked cruiser on Saco Street last week, he pointed out how nearly every car that passed was going at least a few miles over the 25-mile-per-hour speed limit.

Data collected by the SpeedSpy at the end of February showed that of the 1,978 cars that traveled Saco Street in a 24-hour period, 1,805 exceeded the speed limit. On average, cars were traveling at 33 miles per hour. The fastest car that day hit 75 miles per hour.

“If you were living on Saco Street, imagine how you’d feel if you have little kids,” Morrell said. “It’s scary.”

Morrell said he stops between 20 and 30 cars a day and writes about 50 tickets per week on average. Whether he gives a warning or writes a ticket is up to him, but he often uses the driver’s record as a guide.

By typing drivers’ names or license numbers into the laptop in his cruiser, Morrell can access a slew of information on them, from where and when they’ve gotten warnings and tickets before to whether there’s a warrant out for their arrest. Often, a routine traffic stop turns into an arrest, if Morrell suspects there are drugs in the car or if the person is wanted, among other reasons.

“People say, ‘Why don’t you get real criminals instead of stopping people for speeding,’” he said.

Morrell’s response?

“I do.”

Morrell insists that he doesn’t get a rush – or a pay increase – by stopping more cars. In fact, he said, it’s hard knowing he could be causing a financial hardship for someone by handing out a ticket. That’s why, he said, a lot of officers don’t want to enforce traffic full time.

But, it’s the end result of making the community safer that Morrell said keeps him working hard to enforce the laws. And by getting the word out that Westbrook police don’t put up with speeders, ultimately, Morrell’s job could get a lot easier.

“Our goal is voluntary compliance. It’s not about writing tickets. It’s not about stopping folks,” he said.

Foley, who works as a dispatcher for the Kennebunk Police Department, said it’s always been an in-joke among public safety employees in the area that you can’t speed in Biddeford without getting caught.

“Now, I’ve heard through some people, ‘Jeez, what’s going on in Westbrook? You can’t speed through there,’” Foley said.

At a recent day in court, Morrell said, a 21-year-old woman came in with her father to contest a speeding ticket he had written her for driving 32 mph in 25 mph zone.

“He said, ‘This is ridiculous. You’re stopping people for 7 over?’” he said.

The man then, according to Morrell, suggested that signs be placed in Westbrook warning people about what the police department is doing.

“We put up warning signs everywhere,” Morrell said he told the man. “We call them speed-limit signs.”