Well thanks to those who evidently kept calling Hoover PD about speeders, now I can't leave my house and drive down Patton Chapel without being paranoid I'm going to be pulled over in a speed trap! As you have no doubt noticed they've had relentless speed traps since September if not before. We are now going into our 4th month and they are usually out at dusk or dark hiding among side streets or driveways. I would've appreciated a more friendly community approach to speeding like bringing over the solar sign that is used on Shades Crest sometimes or used over on Sulphur Springs to make drivers more aware of their speed. Warnings would be really nice as well especially during this season and with so many being out of work. We are all hard working, good family people here in Bluff Park, and now we can't drive down Chapel! As you have no doubt noticed the speed varies so much from place to place down Chapel. HPD has evidently asked the Engineering Dept to re-evaluate it but too late. Many friends are concerned or have rec'd a ticket when they should've had a warning. This has been going on for far too long but HPD and the Mayor's office said that they can't do anything until they know that there is a problem with it. They rec'd so many complaints about speeding that now some of the complainers have brought them down on us so that I can't get my kids to practice without being pulled over!
 
The Mayor's Office is receiving letters and e-mails from concerned citizens who think the officers should use their valuable time elsewhere checking for valid licenses or insurance etc. so if folks continue to write in as they are now hopefully we will see a change from what seems like a police state.
 
We really need to campaign against ticket quotas for the traffic officers, they don't like them either.

Good grief!  You must have been the person in the pickup on the side of Chapel the other afternoon - looking GRIM in the shadow of the whirling blue lights....hey, if you just did the speed limit you would NOT BE PULLED OVER.
 
Warning, schmorning.....obey the law and you won't get a ticket.
 
I say thank goodness that HPD has taken some interest....now if they would just sit in the cul-de-sac on MY street and give out tickets for the idiots running the stop signs.
 

You are such a whiner.    Since when did the police doing their job become a bad thing.  I speed myself down Patton Chapel and Chapel, etc., but if I get pulled over, I know I'll get a ticket.  It's my fault, not the officer doing his job keeping the roads safe from crazy drivers...Why do you need a warning.  The speed limits signs are a huge warning.  
 
These officers are also on the lookout for suspicious vehicles.  But lets just tell all the officers to leave us alone, and all our houses can be broken into and people's kids won't be able to play outside because B.P will be a zoo!

I don't mind the speed traps, but when they sit at the bottom of a large hill it's kind of annoying.

On Shades Crest there are way to many speed limits without warning of change of speed. It is very confusing. Lets leave it at one speed say 30 mph except for blind spots and shopping centers. Then knock it down to 20 mph.

its better to be safe than sorry

YES, drop the speed limit on the Interstates back to 55mph. You will be amazed at how much difference it makes. Lower speed saves lives and, if you knew anything about safe driving tactics, you would know that the travel time from point A to point B is not significantly different when driving 70 mph verses 55 mph. The thing that people need to do is plan ahead and leave earlier in order to be at your destination on time. If I have to be somewhere at a specific time, I always allow extra time for the " unknown " to ensure I arrive on time or even a little early. Try it, you might like it.

I am new to the forum and spent some time reading the various topics before registering.  I was particularly interested in the posts about crime in BP.  I see where the Pig was robbed (twice?), BP Elementary was broken into and various burglaries are happening to vacant homes during the day.  Let's now compare these crimes to me not coming to a complete and total stop at a stop sign or me going 5 - 10 miles over the speed limit on Chapel.  Is there a comparison?  I know from reading some of your posts that some of you will say that all of the above offenses are worthy of HPD's time, but I say that staking out a stop sign on Chapel or sitting in the parking lot of Gwin Elementary and shooting radar at cars as they are coming DOWNHILL on Chapel as the speeds change from 40 to 30 is an inefficient use of the valuable time of HPD.  I think HPD should use their time in BP more efficiently, like maybe cruising the neighborhoods, which increases visibility.  Now some of you might say that we don't want cars speeding past a school that our children attend and HPD is only helping to keep our children safe.  Wrong!  Sundays are one of the worst days to be on Chapel, as the radar incident I described was on a Sunday night at 9 pm.  I would hate to think HPD has ticket quotas, but I find it hard to explain their behavior sometimes.  I am all for ticketing people who run stop signs and drive recklessly through neighborhoods, but I fear HPD is ticketing anyone and everyone who comes close to violating the letter of the law.  I just wish HPD would use their time more efficiently and concentrate on those offenses that bring fear to a community, like robberies and break ins.  For the record, I am a very safe driver, who has never received a ticket, but I am paranoid as can be driving through BP these days and it shouldn't be that way.