BELLEVUE, Wash. — SLOW DOWN! Is the warning coming from police on the Eastside who are joining forces to crack down on speeding and street racing.
In Bellevue, speeding and reckless driving are a big problem, creating danger for everyone on the roads.
“It’s one of the biggest complaints that we get, one of the biggest concerns that we get from the community,” said Capt. Rob Spingler with Bellevue PD.
It’s a problem that is not going away.
“We’ve seen about a 63% increase in speeding tickets year over year from last year,” said Spingler.
But it’s not just a Bellevue issue.
Now, there’s a coordinated effort, between police in Kirkland, Redmond, Issaquah and Bellevue, forming what’s called the Eastside Safe Streets Task Force – to crack down on speeding, street racing, reckless driving and loud mufflers that wake up everyone.
“Each agency puts some officers into the mix and then we go where we’re needed,” said Spingler.
Neighbors say they know all too well where the problem streets are.
“I mean, people are going 55-60 miles an hour past here and it’s a 30 – and there’s a YMCA two blocks away. There’s people walking and kids everywhere. It’s stupid – slow down,” said Brandon Bradley, a Bellevue resident.
Bellevue PD says while they’ve been handing out more speeding tickets, it appears to be having a positive effect.
“Collisions have dropped about 11% year over year from last year, which is really what we’re trying to do – change behaviors and make the roads safer,” said Spingler.
Police say the task force will not take away any resources used for regular patrols and crime prevention.
The task force starts this weekend and will run indefinitely.