MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Many residents might not realize it, but every time they hit the Station roadways there is the chance someone is not only watching them, but also documenting how fast they are going using radar.
The Provost Marshal's Office has stepped up its use of radar devices to ensure the Station's streets are safe for drivers and pedestrians alike.
"The days are gone in Iwakuni when drivers can try to get out of a ticket by claiming they weren't speeding," said Staff Sgt. Phillip Frazier, PMO training chief. "It's no longer estimates or guesswork - radar doesn't lie."
Despite the fact that being clocked on radar makes it next to impossible to talk ones way out of a ticket, Sgt. Dustin Nelson, PMO accident investigator, says convicting drivers of speeding infractions is not the purpose of the Station's employment of radar.
"There is one reason and one reason only why we are using radar here - the safety of our residents, especially our children," said Nelson. "Nothing as a military policeman, and more importantly as a father, upsets me more than when motorists speed around the school zones or the housing areas where children play. We are very diligent in monitoring those areas with radar."
According to Staff Sgt. DeWayne Smith, PMO watch commander, the use of radar aboard the Station acts as a deterrent to would be speeders.
"If someone doesn't speed because they know there's a good chance they'll be clocked on radar, then the radar has served its purpose," said Smith. "We would prefer voluntary compliance, but the bottom line is we want the streets of Iwakuni to be safe."