Des Moines' new speed catching downtown speeders

(Des Moines, IA) -- A new speed camera in downtown Des Moines is getting a lot of attention, and capturing a lot of lead foots. The city installed the camera a month ago, and tomorrow (Saturday, September 4th) warnings will no longer be sent to drivers, citations will arrive in the mail. Police say there have been hundreds of complaints about reckless drivers and speeders on Grand Avenue west of downtown so the city approved a speed camera near the Pappajohn Sculpture Park.

Des Moines Police Sergeant Paul Parezick tells WHO Radio News even during the 30-day warning period in August they clocked people going way too fast. He says one driver was clocked traveling 74-miles per hour along the 25-mile per hour street. He says the area has a lot more pedestrian traffic than it used to decades ago, because of more restaurants, housing, and the sculpture park, and the city's been wanting to clamp down on the dangerous driving.

If you're captured on the speed camera going 36 miles per hour in this location, you'll get a $65 citation.


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