Sgt. Sean Finney, an expert in traffic enforcement, speaks on increased measures at traffic control on campus roads.
students on the dangers of disobeying road signage. | Photo by Salvatore Ambrosino
Salvatore Ambrosino
Managing Editor
The increase in traffic stops at intersections bordering the Florida Southern campus has yielded no increase in citations issued by college resource officers. The increase in stops follow complaints made by a resident of the street, who has since passed.
“There’s been a focus on slowing down the traffic on [Lake Hollingsworth],” Director of Safety Eric Rauch said. “And then stop sign enforcement, whether it be Frank Lloyd Wright Way and Johnson Ave., Frank Lloyd Wright and Ingraham, or Frank Lloyd Wright and Harvard.”
Sgt. Sean Finney, former Supervisor of School Resource officers, heads the Lakeland Police Department’s presence at Florida Southern College and has an extensive background in making DUI arrests. Finney has a background in education, teaching DUI enforcement and speed measurement enforcement across the country.
“Traffic starts with three things: first the engineering, which is how the roadways are designed, there are some flaws to that intersection,” Finney said concerning Frank Lloyd Wright Way and Johnson Ave. “But most of the traffic stops are educational. How do you change people’s behaviors? Educating and enforcing. Stops aren’t for you as the motoring student, it’s actually for the pedestrian student.”
Finney spoke of the crosswalks on Ingraham’s brick road, which he calls his “biggest fear.”
Wynee’s [Bistro], there are cars flying up and down,” Finney said. “Do they stop at those stop signs? Do students look for those cars? That’s the reason we are trying to put the education out.”
Finney said that the unit intends to implement additional speed measurement devices on Ingraham.
“What happens when that one person with their headphones on walks out and gets hit?” Finney said. “That’s life-changing for everybody.”
Finney also assured students that they are not hiding at intersections.
“I sit there with my red and blue lights on. Am I hiding?” Finney said. “If my red and blue light is on and you still fail to stop at a stop sign, whose fault is that?”
The units presence is increased during the hours students are expected to commute. When students get out of class is a prime time to catch students in a rush, not paying attention to the road signs as they drive, or not paying attention to traffic as they cross at a crosswalk, Finney warns.
“That’s why we are there,” Finney said. “Our society is always in a rush. We don’t like anyone getting in our way, so unfortunately that’s a societal problem.”
