Dothan Police Department: Traffic among issues heard at Coffee with a Cop

Speeding motorists along John D Odom Road have left a Dothan couple concerned.

The couple, Ralph and Bea Johnson, took their concerns to officers with the Dothan Police Department at the Coffee with a Cop event held Wednesday at the Atlanta Bread Company restaurant.

Johnson said they hoped to get some traffic issues about speeding motorists on the road in front of their home heard.

“There’s a lot of traffic on that road on the way to the Pavilion (shopping center),” Johnson said.

Johnson said he spent an hour Wednesday morning talking to officers, including Lt. Todd David, the supervisor of the traffic division.

David said they planned to address the issue by placing a radar trailer on the side of John D Odom Road. He said the trailer will have two displays on it with the posted speed limit and the current speed for each passing motorist.

“It’s just to heighten the motorists’ awareness of how fast they’re driving,” David said. “A lot of people will drive along without thinking twice about looking at their speedometer.”

David was one of more than a dozen officers on hand to answer questions and address any concerns from area residents at Coffee with a Cop.

Dothan Police Lt. Benny Baxley, the supervisor of the Community Services Division, said the department hosts the Coffee with a Cop event every other month. He said each event has been held at different businesses throughout the city. Dakota Coffee Works hosted the first one last fall, and Ray’s Restaurant hosted the last one.

“We’ve found it’s been pretty productive,” Baxley said. “It’s a way to get out and meet people.”

Baxley said people bring a variety of issues to the police at the events, including traffic concerns on Ross Clark Circle.

Baxley also said the event helps the officers promote the city’s community watch group movement.

But Baxley said he also used the event to help promote other events held by officers within the Community Services Division, including the Citizens Police Academy which starts on April 1 and the Jr. Police Academy which starts on June 15.

Area residents can see where the next Coffee with a Cop event will be held by going to the Dothan Police Department’s Facebook page where they typically announce the location. The next Coffee with a Cop event will be held in May.

Police Cpl. David Schwab, the city’s community watch coordinator, said some people inquired about the possibility of getting speed humps installed in their neighborhood.

“I also had some that did not want it too,” Schwab said. “It’s a very polarizing issue.”

But Schwab also said some residents asked him about how to start their own community watch group.

Nancy Peter, who attended the event with her husband Pete Peter, said she inquired about community watch groups after recently seeing some suspicious people walk through her neighborhood.

She called the event good because it gave her the opportunity to meet some of her local police officers.

“It’s nice we get to meet them (police,)” Peter said. “We just never have gotten the opportunity to meet them before, not in this capacity.”

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