To help increase safety awareness, the Jefferson Police Department will be using equipment along Grimmell Road by the Greene County High School.

Police Chief Mark Clouse says for over a year, the speed limit on Grimmell Road to Highway 30 was reduced from 45 to 35 miles per hour, due to there being more traffic by the high school. He notes officers were only issuing warnings at the time the change happened to educate motorists about the change of speed. However, he says it’s continuing to still be an issue.

“You kind of, feel like you’re in the country, like you’re leaving town, or whatever, and your speed just creeps up on you. It happens and we understand that. But we’re trying to keep people safe out there at the school, so we switched to writing citations, not all citations, we still work with some warnings out there.”     

Clouse says there’s been feedback from the public that additional speed limit signs should be posted both directions on Grimmell, north and southbound. Clouse points out additional signage, even the ones with flashing lights, were very expensive to purchase and install. Instead, he talks about using the Greene County Sheriff’s Office speed trailer.

“We will see that speed trailer out there and it’s going to tell you what your speed is and what the speed limit is. That’s really effective, that doesn’t take any of your time with an officer pulling you over to explain to you what the speed limit is, you’re going to see it. We can face it north and we can face it south from that side of the road.”   

Clouse says the Public Works crews made a shoulder out of lots of clay between Central Avenue and the high school parking lot for the radar trailer to be in place in the near future.