NCJ Number
118665
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 56 Issue: 7 Dated: (July 1989) Pages: 51-53
Date Published
1989
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The Ohio State Highway Patrol has developed the Multi-Agency Speed Enforcement (MASE) program that provides speed enforcement assistance to cities with speed-related crash problems.
Abstract
This cooperative venture uses highway patrol aircraft and local agency manpower to effectively reduce overall speed in problem areas. MASE has two principal objectives: to assist local communities with their traffic safety problems, and to promote interagency cooperation for the solution of regional traffic safety problems. A 1986 speed survey revealed that the average speed in Ohio increased as the year progressed. Fifty-two percent of all the traffic exceeded 65 mph on Interstate 74. A joint effort between the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the sheriff's department was effective in reducing speed on Interstate 74. This program, in addition to an efficient use of air speed enforcement, became the program now known as MASE. Problems with the program included overtaxed personnel, high cost, and a communication gap between pilot and ground officer. Other police agencies were added to the program as well as the use of motorcycles. MASE has demonstrated the positive effect of interagency speed enforcement and accomplished the added goal of making Ohio's highways among the safest in the nation.