An effort to allow sheriffs to use radar on roads their departments patrol has again surfaced during the 2008 Mississippi Legislature. The measure has passed the Senate and is awaiting consideration in the House of Representatives.

Amid fears of speed traps and other concerns, radar bills have failed in many prior legislative sessions. And the issue among the public still appears as contentious as ever.

A recent unscientific online poll found respondents almost evenly divided on the issue. Just a few votes over 50 percent thought sheriffs should be allowed to use the speed enforcement devices.

Lincoln County Sheriff Steve Rushing, speaking to the Lions Club last week, said radar would be a useful tool for his department. He said radar would not be used to set up speed traps or focus on ticket writing, but he did see where it could help in some places where speeding is a concern for residents.

Speaking on integrity concerns, Rushing pointed out that voters have entrusted sheriffs with a gun and a badge to enforce the laws of the county and state.

But given the failure of radar bills, that trust apparently doesn’t extend to the issue of radar.

We suspect many lawmakers and citizens who oppose radar have no doubt their sheriffs would use the devices responsibly. Their concerns, though, seem to be with those other sheriffs who would use radar as a revenue generator.

It’s a situation similar to that of dissatisfaction with Congress when there are calls to “throw the bums out.” That sounds all well and good, but guess what? “My congressman is doing a good job and needs to stay, but those other lawmakers need to go.” If everyone feels that way, then the same lawmakers get re-elected and the status quo remains. Sound familiar?

“My sheriff needs radar, but those other sheriffs can’t be trusted so I can’t support it.” Therefore, radar legislation doesn’t get passed and nothing changes. It’s regrettable that some sheriffs likely would use radar for dubious purposes like speed traps to generate revenue. But we are confident that many more sheriffs – not only ours but others as well – would indeed use the devices responsibly to control speeding and to address safety concerns within their jurisdictions.

Safety is the most important consideration when discussing radar.

The threat of an expensive speeding ticket – and higher insurance premiums – is enough to slow many motorists down. “Speed demons” are going to exceed the limit anyway, but radar could still be some small deterrent to the dangerous behavior.

When it comes to radar, safety needs to take precedence over concerns about how sheriffs would use the new tools. This should be the year sheriffs finally get radar for their counties.