Commercial Vehicle Enforcement now in Johnson County

.

We announced the implementation of Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Oct. 1^st of this year in Johnson County. Deputies Mathew Dill and James Novian are the two officers assigned to this unit at this time.

We have been very pleased with the performance of these deputies, who have taken their duties very seriously and have done their best to achieve our goals. I’d like to point out that the reports from their Supervisor, Capt. Mike Gilbert, have been impressive, especially since we did not receive the  scales to weigh trucks until Oct. 23, 2007.

With that in mind, let’s review what has transpired since the organization of this unit. Both deputies utilize F-150 extended cab Ford pick-up trucks to haul needed equipment, including scales, to weigh trucks in various areas of the county. We would like to give special thanks to Commissioners Court for granting us the positions to man this unit, and thus better serve and protect the citizens of Johnson County.

We are especially appreciative of Pct. 4 Commissioner Don Beeson, who has gone out of his way to put in two cement pads in his precinct, making it much for efficient and expeditious to enforce commercial vehicle codes in that area.

Deputy Dill attended 9.5 hours of training in October and Deputy Novian attended 9 hours of training.  Of the citations written, a grand total of $15,647.00 has been collected. $20,995 in additional fines have been imposed on persons who are in the process of paying those fines through payment plans.

Dill and Novian wrote 199 violations last month, even though Novian had only a little over two weeks on the road and Dill had 23 days. Together, they made 5 arrests. Half of the cases are disposed of for the month and the single highest paid (single) fine so far has been for $577. Both deputies have been diligent in working locations where Johnson County Sheriff’s Office has received specific complaints from the public regarding Commercial Vehicle violations.

While there are specific load limits on our roadways, some trucking companies buy permits for their trucks that haul heavier equipment. What the public doesn’t realize is that sometimes trucking companies are willing to pay fines, regardless of the load their trucks carry, in order to get their loads transported. So there will always be law enforcement issues in order to reach our goals of reducing traffic collisions, fatalities and injuries on our roadways.

We want our citizens to know that their concerns are our concerns, and we will do our absolute best to protect and serve them. Our Commercial Vehicle Enforcement unit is just one way we are doing that.