FROM THE DESK OF THE POLICE CHIEF
Traffic Safety in PKS
By Ryan Thompson, Pine Knoll Shores Police Chief
A hot topic of conversation in 2019 is traffic safety in our resi
dential areas. It would be safe to assume that the increased num
ber of contractors that have rushed into Carteret County following
the destruction of Hurricane Florence are to blame for the major
ity of traffic violations in our residential areas. That is not always
• the case, however. Oftentimes drivers that are stopped by our of
ficers for violations of traffic laws are our very own residents. The
most common reasons that officers stop a driver in a residential
area are for speeding and failing to stop for a stop sign.
Individuals who live in Pine Knoll Shores should have a vest
ed interest in traffic safety and following signs that are posted
throughout town. The two biggest complaints that I hear on a
regular basis are speeding on Oakleaf Drive and vehicles that don’t
stop for the stop signs on the tree streets (Juniper, Yaupon, Willow,
Holly and Cedar roads).
Not only is it embarrassing to get stopped by a police officer, it
can be extremely costly. The total cost for a citation for failing to
stop for a stop sign is $238. This does not account for an insurance
increase or attorney fees if you decide to hire one.
It is no secret that thousands of part-time residents and visi
tors flock to our quaint beach town to visit our beautiful beaches.
Inevitably, this means that we typically see an increase in traf
fic violations throughout Pine Knoll Shores during the warmer
months. Help us curb the rise in traffic violations by obeying the
posted speed limit and following our traffic signs and signals. In
2011, the American Automobile Association (AAA) completed a
study of vehicle speeds related to pedestrian fatalities. The num
bers may surprise you:
• 23 mph: 10% chance of pedestrian fatality
• 32 mph: 25% chance of pedestrian fatality
• 42 mph: 50% chance of pedestrian fatality
• 50 mph: 75% chance of pedestrian fatality
• 58 mph: 90% chance of pedestrian fatality
As you can see, an increase by only 8 mph, from 42 to 50,
increases by 25% a pedestrian’s probability of being killed if he or
she is struck by a vehicle. I often hear, “I was only going 10 miles
an hour over the speed limit.” Hopefully seeing the results from
this study will help shed some light on why speeding can be so
dangerous. The next time you stop at a stop sign, take a quick
look around the area. It is likely that you will find a police officer
nearby.
Scam of the Month; Craigslist
and Facebook Marketplace
Online websites that allow users to post items for sale such as
Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace are a hotbed of activity for
scammers. If you are posting an item for sale online, never tell
anyone your address. If you have to meet a stranger to complete a
transaction, have them meet you at your local police department
or sheriff’s office. The public safety building in Pine Knoll Shores
is a “Transaction Safe Place.” You can meet a potential buyer in our
parking lot or lobby to complete a transaction. If someone does not
want to meet you there, you probably do not want to do business
with them anyway. There are far too many reports of robberies that
originate from Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace.
CONTENTS
Age-Friendly Community 9,14
At the Aquarium 19
At the Library..... 23
Caught Doing Something Good .10
Crystal Coast Country Club 8
Current Crossword .27
Current Sudoku 27
Events Calendar 21
Fishing and Hunting 20
Garden Club 31
History of Pine Knoll Shores ..6
Kramer’s Korner ...26
Mayor’s Memo : 24
Meet Your Town Staff 7
On the Grill 30
PIKSCO Happenings 8
Pine Knoll Shores Commissioners Meeting .....19
PKA News 9
Puzzle Solutions n
Town Crier 16-17
What’s Up With PARC? 8
Women’s Club 18
0 Public
Safety
POLICE
During April, there were 9 arrests; 58 911 hang-ups; 12
alarm activations; 17 animal calls; 2 larceny calls; 3 damage to
property calls; 15 disturbance calls; 22 assist Fire/EMS calls; 2
motor vehicle collisions; 9 assist other agency calls; 354 traffic
stops; 114 citations issued (22 speeding, 10 stop sign/stop light,
11 registration/inspection, 20 license revoked/expired, 44 other
traffic violations; 6 narcotics violations and 1 other criminal
offense); 29 beach patrols; 346 business checks; 486 foot patrols;
174 residence checks. Police personnel participated in.Ill training
hours. Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) worked 41.5 hours.
FIRE AND EMS
During April, responders handled 5 false alarm and false calls,
3 fires, 2 good intent calls, 2 hazardous condition (no fire) calls,
18 rescue and emergency medical service incidents and 2 service
calls. Training hours were not available at the time of this report.
REMINDER: Lock your doors, especially your vehicles, and
don’t leave valuables in sight. Report suspicious people or vehicles
to dispatch (726-1911) so that the police can be notified. You are
not “bothering” the police if you call to report something that
doesn’t look right. They prefer to assess the situation rather than
find out after the fact that you had noticed something and didn’t
report it. Alert citizens are assets to the community.
r> •
ShoreLine
252-247-4353 ext 19
e-mail: Shoreline@townofpks.com
www.townofpks.com
EDITOR:
Janie Price
240-2365
EDITORS AT LARGE:
Mary Battista
422-4063
Marilyn Brandt 919-377-2501
Alicia Durham
241-8930
CONTRIBUTING
REPORTERS:
Frederick S. Boyce
Paige Gillespie
723-6276
Marian Goetzinger
Jean McDanal
422-9000
Barbara Milhaven
240-0678
Jacquie Pipkin
622-0340
Jim Scanlon
726-4174
Richard Seale
726-0478
Jim Turner
Ken Wilkins
240-2474
CIRCULATION MANAGER:
Erica Reed
247-4353
GRAPHIC DESIGNER:
Michelle Dobbs
726-7081
ADVERTISING:
Marie Lawrence
726-7081
ARTICLE DEADLINE
DUE DATE
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The 19th of the month prior
to desired issue
Articles always welcome.
June 2019 I The Shoreline