Fake Radio Ads by Police

The Labor Day weekend has reminded me of one of my favorite police tactics:  The fake radio ad.

Occasionally we hear a public service announcement on the radio that goes something like this, "Highway traffic is heavier today due to the long weekend.  Please note that police have increased their presence in the area and will be more prominent on the roads today.  You likely have noticed a police cruiser already during your travels.  Have a safe weekend."

What this announcement really means is this is probably a good time to put the pedal down as highway enforcement is at a minimum.  Mainly these announcements are played during a long weekend.  Police are usually Union, operate twenty-four hours a day, and want their holidays as much as the rest of us.  It is much more difficult for an organization that runs 24/7 to accommodate holidays and time off than for organizations that keep regular business hours.

It is my experience that, except for serious locations such as construction zones, police rarely announce when and where they are doing traffic enforcement.

Please note that in Alberta, the Sheriffs tend to prefer Holiday Mondays to monitor speed on roads such as Highway 2 between Wetaskiwin and Leduc.  The Sheriffs also don't usually broadcast fake public service announcements.