Crimewatch: Leander PD posts radar locations on social media

LEANDER, Texas - Speed traps don't exist in Leander. The department doesn't hide where they're looking for traffic violations. They want everyone to know. The department does that by posting on social media.

"There you go," LPD Sgt. Ryan Doyle said. "He didn't even try and stop."

A red-light runner should've known better. After issuing the driver a ticket, Sgt. Doyle explains why.

Officer: "Okay, so you follow the Benbrook FB page? Do you follow our Facebook page?"

Driver: "No."

Officer: "Cause a while ago we posted that we're going to be out here working."

Doyle oversees the Leander Police Department's Traffic Enforcement Management Program or "team." Before every shift he tells his Lieutenant Derral Partin his plans for the day.

"We're going to be moving to Horizon Park targeting stop signs and speeders again," Doyle said.

Partin posts those plans on the department's Facebook page.

"At rush hour we're going to move to 2243 and Toll Road 183A."

The exact locations and times of enforcement are laid out for all to see. The same post goes to the department's Twitter account as well. Partin says responses have been positive for the most part.

"I see people telling their spouses 'watch out' or their kids," Partin said.

Partin likes to tag any neighborhood associations nearby to further push out the information. He feels the more people who see it, the safer the city.

"People ask why we do it and my response is we don't want to stop anyone. We want everyone to comply with the laws. If no one got a ticket that would be the best," Partin said.

Doyle says he's also had a positive response on his stops. If drivers don't know about their posts, he makes sure to tell them.

"We've posted it on our Facebook several times that we're going to be out here working. We've contacted y'all's Facebook page and posted it on there, contacted y'all some of the members talk about it constantly. We had officers out here and the problem still exists," Doyle said.

While there is a problem, there will be a post.

"We're not out there to make money. We're out there to save lives and aside from mechanical failure, all accidents are avoidable. And so that's why we're out there doing what we're doing," Doyle said.

Austin police once posted where they would be doing traffic enforcement, but no longer do so. The commander of the unit sounded interested in looking into it again after hearing about Leander's efforts.

The Travis County Sheriff's Office once posted their hot spots on an AP called trapster, but they no longer do that.