Downey : Police Order Special Rig to Check Overweight Trucks
Truckers driving overweight rigs have become targets for Downey police in an effort to prevent road damage and raise revenue.
The City Council has authorized the Police Department to spend $33,000 for a specially equipped three-quarter-ton pickup that will carry scales to weigh rigs that police officers suspect of being overweight.
Heavy trucks cause traffic congestion, tear up roads and can be a hazard to other motorists, Downey Police Chief Gregory C. Caldwell said.
Truckers are required to purchase city permits to drive overweight trucks on roads with weight restrictions. Some fines increase for every pound over the legal limit, so fines for overweight trucks range from $10 to thousands of dollars.
The city hopes to write citations worth $150,000 a year, and will keep most of the money, Caldwell said.
To buy the police truck, the city is using revenue from the confiscated assets of convicted drug offenders. Caldwell said he hopes to have the police truck on duty within 45 days.
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