Unscheduled Stop for Southbound Truckers

Lamar police officers received some OJT, on-the-job-training, this Tuesday morning, May 24. Working with members of the Colorado State Patrol, the officers were flagging southbound commercial vehicles along highway 287 and performing routine safety inspections. Lamar police chief, Gary McCrea said two officers will receive training from the state to become Level One safety inspectors, capable of performing once-overs for semi’s and other commercial vehicles that role through town.

McCrea added, “We have around 2,500 trailers passing through Lamar each day, and some of them do manage to find their way around the Port of Entry stop. The department is going to become more involved with highway safety procedures for commercial vehicles in the future.” The highway stop was adjacent to Lamar Community College, just past Merchant’s Park, where trucks weighed out on portable scales and went through the inspection routine. Chief McCrea said the state course takes about two weeks to complete.

By Russ Baldwin