The Westside police substation has a new officer.
His name is Timmy, and his purpose is to get drivers to slow down. He is a dummy that sits in a police car at different locations around Albuquerque and the Westside.
Capt. Conrad Candelaria from the West Side Area Command said police have been using Timmy as a traffic enforcement tool for the past month.
He said they use Timmy with the intent of keeping people safe by making them more conscious about speeding.
"It's kind of a PR information strategy, if you will," Candelaria said. "People will realize they're speeding."
Candelaria said they set Timmy up in the car and leave
him there for a few hours and then substitute him with a real police officer with a radar gun. He said they do this so the effect doesn't wear off.
Candelaria said Timmy should make drivers feel better than if a real officer was in the car with a radar gun, because when people see the
dummy, they'll think, "I just got a break."
"It's kind of comical," Candelaria said. "People will think, 'I just got slowed down by a dummy. Who's the dummy here?'"
Student Zoe Sellers said it is good to keep people from speeding, but she is not sure Timmy is the one causing drivers to slow down.
"I don't know if it's really going to make a difference, because when you see a police car, you slow down anyway," Sellers said.
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Student Scott Rogers said the colors and signs of a police car trigger a response in people, regardless if someone is inside.
"I think it's pretty useless," Rogers said. "I just can't seethe logic in it. Maybe they should spend a little more time and money and have actual people sit in the car."
Conrad said he has gotten a lot of positive comments and has not gotten
any negative comments. Andrea Schanbacher, an exchange
student from Germany, said she is not sure people would fall for it, but she said it is a good idea because the car is visible to
drivers.
"It's fair because usually they hide so you can't see them, and then people do drive too fast, and they can fine you," she said. "That's
where they get their money."
Candelaria said only one Timmy is in the state right now, but they may have more in the future.
"I hope to get a whole squad of them - eight to 10, so we can have
them all over the city," Conrad said.
Candelaria said the idea was presented by Charles Lucas, president
of the Route 66 West Neighborhood Association. He got the idea when
he was traveling through Arizona.
"They took an old car, painted it like a cop car near the Route 66," Lucas said. "You could see the trucks slow down, so I thought it was a good idea."
Candelaria said this is not the first time a dummy is in the police
force.
"We tried this before, 12 years ago," said Candelaria. "They just stopped doing it. I don't know why."
Candelaria said Timmy is placed according to different factors, such
as the number of complaints the police department receives regarding
traffic and speeding in a certain area.
