New Speed Trailer Coming to Arnold

A new speed trailer will soon be stationed beside various roads following Arnold City Council's approval of the purchase last Thursday.

The speed trailer is an automated device that monitors passing cars and shows drivers how fast they are traveling. The trailer simply records the number of cars and their speeds, said Robert Shockey, interim city administrator and chief of the . 

The trailer does not take photos and cannot be used to issue tickets, he said.

The purchase will replace an old trailer that is used every day, Shockey said. It's usually placed on road sides where residents complain of speeding motorists.

The police use the trailer to observe traffic, and if it shows that motorist are routinely speeding on that street, police can later send an officer out to issue tickets.

The department’s old speed trailer was purchased in 2001 and officials can no longer find parts to repair it. A new trailer will cost $6,400, which the department will pay for with funds from drug forfeiture proceeds.