- Premont police is cracking down on reckless drivers.
- The mission to keep residents safe.
- Reckless drivers put the safety of themselves and others at risk.
- Punishments include the arrest and seizure of the vehicle used in the criminal activity.
The city of Premont is making it a priority to keep its citizens safe on the roads.
One way to do so is to combat the reckless driving that has been happening within the small-town streets.
Everyone dreads hearing those sirens and seeing red and blue lights in their rear-view mirror. However, folks in Premont have started to see just that - especially those who engage in reckless driving.
Premont Police Chief Ricardo R. Garcia said the community has long suffered with young adults making some poor decisions when they get behind the wheel of a vehicle.
“It’s not going to be tolerated. It’s not going to be an accepted behavior anymore," Chief Gaarcia said. "As a result – the patrol officers here in Premont - We’ve taken a more aggressive stance in that aspect of public safety. We want to make sure that our streets are safe for the kids, for the public. No matter what time of day or night."
Chief Garcia said he and his officers are making speeders and racers alert.
They’ve addressed this issue with posts on social media - saying that anyone caught driving reckless would be held responsible for their actions.
One of those consequences – a seized vehicle – which has already taken place.
“In the evenings and at nights – sometimes – people have their vehicles, and they want to do things like do donuts or race or check the performance of their cars. And that sort of stuff. I do understand that completely but there’s a time and a place for that. And the city streets are not it. As a result – when people are doing these sorts of things, they are putting the public at risk,” Chief Garcia said.
He said that new legislative laws have permitted for law enforcement to take drastic measures for public safety. It’s all about staying safe – a life can’t be replaced – should something terrible happen during the course of a reckless driving.
Chief Garcia and his officers have seen reckless driving turn into other criminal activities – and have turned deadly.
Premont resident Benjamin Priddy is a mechanic that understands the problem all too well.
“I think it’s a good thing because, number one, it’ll bring revenue to the town. And number two – it’ll help these people think about speeding and driving recklessly through town. Because there is a lot of kids in the area,” Priddy said.
He said you just never know what’s around the corner when you’re speeding. There may be kids on bikes or playing football on the road – when a reckless driver hits them.
To him and Chief Garcia, that’s not a chance they want to take.
Chief Garcia said his department wants to know about some of the reckless driving issues in the area. So, if you know of a problem, give the police department a call and they will address it.
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