‘SOS’ Isn’t “COPS”

WMBD/WYZZ TV – PEORIA – Looking to shave a few minutes off your travel between University and Sheridan in Peoria?  Peoria Police say they've received numerous calls from citizens who live along Florence Avenue...  A common short cut for motorists in a rush.  Buckle up and hold on tight - "Streets of Speed" is back.

"We were like, 'what's with the cameras?  Is "COPS" doing a ride-along up here?'"  Nope... It's just WMBD.  Florence Avenue in Peoria may have a reputation for zippy drivers... But...

"It’s 25 mph for a reason."  And it's Officer Chad Oberle's job to keeps streets like this safe.  Look around and you'll see schools, a church and a daycare... And if you don't blink, you're also bound to see a whole lot of speed.

"Honestly, I didn't know I was speeding.  I wasn't looking - I didn't think I’d be getting pulled over today."  This young woman got ticketed for going 14 over the limit.  If only she had been paying attention... "we saw someone pulled over on our way that way."

A block up the road and minutes earlier, Officer Oberle had pulled over soccer mom Shirley Eppel.  "We’re trying to get to the park district office before somebody left," she explains.  She was also handed a $75 ticket for speeding.  She was rushing 10 over.  "I never come down this way.  So this is a completely different route for me."

For drivers who've never traveled Florence before, Officer Oberle says that's all the more reason to slow down... And pay attention: "And that's one of the things I hope to accomplish through my efforts: To get people to pay better attention to what they're doing.  Sometimes, that's all they need -- a wake up call.  Sometimes it costs $75 to do that."

"Streets of Speed" will continue next week...