Recently, a portion of MLK Jr. Blvd. reduced the speed limit from 35 to 30 mph. To ensure a smooth transition, Denver PD deployed their two best motorcycle officers, Ryan “Ponch” Stagemeyer and Andy “John” Hamilton. The two received their nicknames from the popular TV show CHiPs. “People joke with us about it,” says John. “We don’t mind. We actually think it is pretty cool. Those guys were good lookin’ dudes.”
The officers were busy last week handing out ticket after ticket on the small 30 mph portion of MLK. “We saw a lot of people going 38 or so,” says Ponch. “Luckily for the Stapleton community, we ticketed the offenders, and scared a lot of other potential speeders straight.” Ponch and John also mentioned that there is quite a bit of irony with most of the offenders. “A majority of the speeders are not Stapleton residents. Stapleton residents are typically only going from one end to the other, so not a real good reason to speed. Drivers from other neighborhoods try to get through Stapleton as quickly as possible, as they fear someone will call the police on them.”
Ponch and John will continue to patrol Stapleton randomly throughout the summer. “We will be out there protecting the community from speeders in non-Stapleton looking vehicles,” says John. If you are a resident and you do get pulled over, show your Stapleton resident card and receive a 10% discount on your ticket. ]]>