Residents urged to drive safely
As police officers, we are often called upon in times of need. We take pride in helping others and making Howard County a safer place.
But now, we need your help. We have an issue that is killing our citizens at five times the rate of our homicides. What could be so deadly? Our roadways. Last year, 22 people died in collisions on Howard County roads.
We can slow down a speeder or take a drunk driver off the road, but we think prevention is the key. We want to change the dangerous behavior before the violations are committed.
The Police Department last week launched a new traffic safety public awareness campaign to remind drivers why safety must be their top priority. The recent death of Cpl. Scott Wheeler on a county roadway reinforces the importance of this message.
We all need to slow down, wear our seat belts and designate a sober driver before taking a drink of alcohol. These may not be new ideas, but we want drivers to know that they are a top priority in Howard County.
Over the next few weeks, you will start to see posters and signs intended to capture your attention. We hope the black, white and red designs and simple messages will catch your eye and make you think.
Look for our messages everywhere you shop, work, play and go to school in Howard County. Thanks to the Horizon Foundation's funding, we are kicking-off the campaign in a big way.
We will still continue our programs: our parking-permit program in the high schools, our DUI checkpoints and saturation patrols, our speed-enforcement and seat-belt enforcement efforts. But this campaign is not about enforcement, it's about awareness. It's about thinking twice, every time you get behind the wheel.
No one ever thinks that he or she will cause a crash. What's one moment of distraction? A quick bite to eat, a short phone call, a text message, or a glance at the newspaper? Until that moment. The moment you can't take back. When someone's loved one is gone in an instant. Or when your own loved ones answer a knock on the door from a police officer delivering the worst news of their lives.
Now, the police are asking for your help. As you get into your own car today, we hope you will pause for a moment to think about how your actions could affect others ...ones you've never met and the ones you love the most.
William J. McMahon
The writer is chief of the Howard County Police Department.
Columbian supports downtown high-rise
There is quite a bit of debate on the new residential tower that has been planned for downtown Columbia. An organized citizen group is asking the municipality to, in effect, take away a building permit that has already been through public hearings.
I live pretty much in the shadow of this proposed development and am excited that the vision that Jim Rouse planned for downtown Columbia is entering the next phase of development. His planning efforts were put in place to help slow urban sprawl by planning for higher-density development that more efficiently uses existing public facilities, supports small business and leads to better public amenities.
My wife and I have taken our son to many of the parks, cafes, festivals and educational activities that occur with greater frequency in areas such as downtown Silver Spring, Reston, Alexandria and Baltimore. It is a shame the community sometimes forgets that we live in such a diverse area that holds the potential to bring people together.
Not supporting higher densities in areas that were originally planned to do so undermines the macro planning effort. How can we bring a community closer together if we ask them to live farther apart?
Rakesh Patel Columbia