A B.C. RCMP detachment is testing out a brand new member on the force and as part of its latest measure to curb notorious speeders.
Const. Scarecrow is a life-sized, metal poster-board cutout of a police officer with a laser speed-reader, and will be stationed among bushes in the median of Pinetree Way in Coquitlam for the next two months.
While he won’t hand out a ticket or collect a paycheque, it’s hoped that he will give motorists the reminder they need to slow down.
“Const. Scarecrow doesn’t write tickets of course, but drivers should be aware that real Mounties, and our Speed Watch volunteers, might be right around the corner waiting to help out,” Sgt. Quentin Frewing said Tuesday. “The real goal here is to keep speeds down and keep our roads safe.”
Scarecrow will be located in two other mysterious locations in the city – areas problematic for speeders, police said. To measure the impact the cut-outs have, RCMP will be using its speed-monitoring system called Black Cat to track speeds nearby 24-7.
At the unveiling, Cpl. Michael McLaughlin said if the project is successful, similar Mountie cut-outs could be expanded to cities across B.C. if detachments see fit. Each cutout costs roughly $500.
“We’ve seen cutouts used before in places like the United Kingdom, but never to our knowledge has this happened in Canada,” he said.
“This is a light-hearted approach to traffic enforcement, you might not get a ticket – hopefully you just slow down – but it is a warning that Const. Scarecrow’s big brothers and sisters… are right around the corner.”
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