The Ottumwa Police Department is introducing automated speed enforcement to the streets of Ottumwa.   Ottumwa is using the new technology as a tool to enforce posted speed limits with the goal of reducing the amount of speeding violations and increasing the safety of the community.

The City of Ottumwa has partnered with RedSpeed™ USA Corp. of Lombard,  Illinois to equip the Police Department with a mobile enforcement vehicle equipped with speed monitoring cameras.   The vehicle uses radar to measure the speed of every vehicle that passes the camera within the enforcement zone.  If a passing vehicle exceeds the speed limit, the equipment photographs and documents the violation.   After the violation is reviewed and approved by an Ottumwa Police Officer, a citation, including the violation photos and the vehicle’s speed, will be sent to the registered owner.

Ottumwa Police Chief Tom McAndrew said, “Speeding is one of the issues we hear about often.  I believe this equipment will help deter dangerous driving behavior.   RedSpeed provides the vehicle and equipment at no cost to the local taxpayers.”

The Ottumwa Police Department will be training with the equipment and testing the system for the next 30 days.  During this time, the vehicle will be parked at various locations around town monitoring traffic speed. No citations will be issued during this time, only warnings.

The locations for enforcement and additional information about the program will be posted on the City of Ottumwa website at cityofottumwa.com.