Chief of Police Robert Morgan issued the attached letter this month to the residents of Mount Vernon.
In his letter Chief Morgan identifies the problem of commercial trucks leaving designated state routes and using residential streets as throughways. Such off-state-route trucks violate state and city laws. The letter describes Chief Morgan’s request for cooperation from local businesses and notes that drivers of off-state-route trucks are subject to citation and have been cited. Without qualification, the Chief’s letter also states his theory of policing, “Our goal is not to issue citations but to educate drivers in proper routes.”
According to the municipal court’s records for the PAST YEAR, five (5) citations were issued in July and August, 2021, for driving on a closed highway. During that same period, an additional nine (9) off-state-route citations were issued. ALL 14 of these citations are related to closure of southbound Sandusky Street. In the PAST YEAR, one ticket was issued in July 2021 to an off-state-route truck at Vernonview and Yauger Road and one ticket was issued in August 2021 to an off-state-route truck on Mulberry Street.
Although the foregoing data may not be complete, because of differing wording written on citations and other factors, the records cover all of Mount Vernon the same way. ALL 16 citations were issued in the past two months. The data clearly suggest, contrary to the Chief Morgan's statement, that citation of off-state-route trucks was non-existent for 10 of the last 12 months and off-state-route trucks only became an issue with the closing of southbound State Route 13 on Sandusky Street.
The municipal court’s data plainly demonstrate that the priorities of the Mount Vernon Police Department are not oriented around residents of the city. If the priorities were oriented around protecting the quality of life, safety, property values or even keeping heavy trucks from damaging the city’s infrastructure under residential streets not designed for through trucks, the court’s data would show at least a few citations for the estimated MINIMUM OF TWO OFF-STATE-ROUTE TRUCKS PER WEEK illegally using Edgewood Road as a throughway.
There are several theories of policing. Chief Morgan follows one theory. Theories may be interesting discussion points, but in the end the effect of any theory of policing falls on the citizens and the community to which it is applied. Look around and ask yourself, “Would off-state-route trucks be a problem in Mount Vernon, if Chief Morgan’s theory of policing actually worked?” The answer is, “Public data clearly demonstrate that Chief Morgan’s theory is not producing a result satisfactory to residents living on residential streets like Edgewood Road, whose inhabitants have complained for DECADES about off-state-route trucks on their street at all hours of the day and night.
Another theory of policing, enforcing the law, holds that addressing issues like off-state-route trucks can PREVENT big quality-of-life problems. Off-state-route trucks routinely passing “No Thru Trucks” signs signal that enforcement of law means so little in Mount Vernon that it is ok to deal dope or to steal from a neighbor or to beat a family member. Whatever Chief Morgan hopes to accomplish with his theory that does not work, the residents of Mount Vernon hope for a theory of policing that gets off-state-route trucks out of all residential neighborhoods and keeps them out. This would plainly show that Chief Morgan and the police department for which he is responsible enforce the laws of the State of Ohio and Mount Vernon impartially and uniformly every day.
When you have the opportunity, be sure to tell everyone about how Chief Morgan’s theory of policing that does not work affects you. And, the next time you have opportunity to vote, go to the polls and remember that ultimately Mayor Matt Starr is responsible for Chief Morgan’s theory of policing that does not work.
Per your request, this letter is to follow-up on the issue of the on-going illegal semi-truck traffic occurring on Edgewood Rd between Rt 229 and Coshocton Ave via Marita Dr that was brought-up at the “Coffee with City Council” meeting held last Saturday (June 19). I am attaching documentation to support that these trucks are illegally transgressing Edgewood Rd and that they are not being ticketed nor being pursued by the police.
I have attached six representative videos (see note below) of semi-trucks illegally transgressing N Edgewood Rd that occurred between September 25, 2020 and June 19, 2021. All the trucks were going north on N Edgewood Rd when the videos were taken. They are:
- Sept 25, 2020 - White semi-truck with no markings or identification.
- Nov 5, 2020 - RUAN semi-truck.
- Dec 5, 2020 - Proven Winners semi-truck.
- April 28, 2021 - I SUPP semi-truck.
- May 17, 2021 - Tanker Truck, no observable identification.
- June 19, 2021- Dollar General semi-truck.
I would like to focus on just two of the six incidents sited here; they occurred on April 28 and June 19, 2021.
April 28, 2021:
An I-SUPP semi-truck coming from Rt 229, illegally turned and drove north onto Edgewood Rd. It then, a few blocks further north, got itself struck trying to turn east onto Marita Dr at the corner of N Edgewood Rd and Marita Dr. The police were called and dispatched to the scene. As the video shows, the semi was forced, by the police, to back up all the way back south to Rt 229. According to the police report, the semi-truck driver was not ticketed for illegally driving on N Edgewood Rd. (The police report
CFS2111850s is attached).
A witness, says “after the semi-truck was made to back up from Marita Dr south past his house, he called the police department and found that the police did not give the trucker a ticket. He spoke to Tammy Woods about the event and when she questioned the Police Chief during the next city council meeting, the chief said the police were indeed ticketing the truckers when they are off route in residential areas that are not marked as connector routes.
To pursue verification of the chief’s claim, he spoke to Matt Starr and asked for information about how many truckers are being given tickets for this issue. The mayor told him he would have the Police Chief call him with answers to his request. When the Police Chief called him, the story he got is that over the last roughly 20 months 33 trucks were caught cross crossing Edgewood and when he questioned if they were being ticketed, the Clief kept saying yes, we are ticketing trucks for that reason.
Based on his personal experience over the last two years, four separate semi-trucks, that he followed up on, were stopped by the police for using Edgewood Rd and none were ticketed.
June 19, 2021:
On this date, A Dollar General semi-truck coming from Rt 229, illegally turned and drove north onto Edgewood Rd. When we observed it going north on N Edgewood Rd headed to Coshocton Ave, we called the Police Dispatch to report the incident. We further requested the dispatcher to dispatch a patrol car to the General Dollar Store, located on Coshocton Ave, where the truck was headed. We further asked the dispatcher to tell the dispatched patrolman that he had a video and eye-witness evidence to support giving the driver a ticket. And we asked the dispatcher to have the patrolman call him with his findings. A call back never came. Later, the Police Dispatcher was called and asked if a patrol car had been dispatched in response to the call. No patrol car was dispatched, the call from us was dispatched as BOLO (Be On The Look Out). No police report exists.
Note: The six attached videos were at the NE corner of East Chestnut St and N Edgewood Rd.
Applicable Street Laws
339.01 OVERSIZE OR OVERWEIGHT VEHICLE OPERATION ON STATE ROUTES; STATE PERMIT.
(a) No person shall operate or move a vehicle or combination of vehicles of a size or weight of vehicle or load exceeding the maximum specified in Ohio R.C. 5577.01 to 5577.09, inclusive, or otherwise not in conformity with Ohio R.C. 4513.01 to 4513.37, inclusive, upon any State route within the Municipality, except pursuant to special written permit issued by the Ohio Director of Transportation, or upon any local truck route. Every such permit shall be carried in the vehicle or combination of vehicles to which it refers and shall be open to inspection by any police officer.
No holder of a permit issued by the Ohio Director of Transportation shall be required to obtain any local permit or license or pay any local fee or charge for movement on any State route within the Municipality; however, it shall be unlawful to operate any such vehicle or combination of vehicles upon any roadway within the Municipality which is not a State route, except as provided in Section 339.02. (ORC 4513.34)
(b) (1) No person shall violate the terms of a permit issued under this section that relate to gross load limits.
(2) No person shall violate the terms of a permit issued under this section that relate to axle load by more than 2000 pounds per axle or group of axles.
(3) No person shall violate the terms of a permit issued under this section that relate to an approved route except upon order of a law enforcement officer or authorized agent of the issuing authority.
(c) Whoever violates any provision of this section for which no other penalty is provided is guilty of a minor misdemeanor. (ORC 4513.99)
339.02 USE OF LOCAL STREETS; LOCAL PERMIT AND CONDITIONS.
(a) Use of Local Streets. No person shall operate a vehicle exceeding a size as specified in Section 339.03 or exceeding a gross weight of five tons, upon any street in the Municipality other than a State route, except those local streets designated as a truck route and marked as such by appropriate traffic signs, and except when such operation is necessary to load or unload property, to go to or from the usual place of storage of such vehicle or to perform any other legitimate business or act other than passage through the Municipality. Operators of vehicles so deviating from either a State route or a designated truck route within the Municipality shall confine such deviation to that required in order to accomplish the purpose of the departure.
(b) Local Permit and Conditions. Upon application and for good cause, the Police Chief may issue a local permit authorizing an applicant to move an oversize or overweight vehicle or combination of vehicles upon local streets.
No permittee shall be required to obtain a special permit from the Ohio Director of Transportation for the movement of the vehicle or combination of vehicles on streets or highways under local jurisdiction; however, the approval of the Ohio Director of Transportation shall be required for movement upon State routes as provided in Section 339.01.
The Police Chief may grant a permit for a single or round trip, or for such period of time, not to exceed one year, as the Police Chief in his discretion deems advisable, or for the duration of any construction project. The Police Chief may limit or prescribe terms or conditions of operation for such vehicle or combination of vehicles by designating the route, hours, speed or such other restrictions as may be necessary for the preservation of the public peace, property, health and safety. The Police Chief may require the posting of bond or other security necessary to compensate for any damage to a roadway or road structure.
For each such permit, the Police Chief shall charge ten dollars ($10.00), and for each hour of time or any part thereof spent by each police officer in supervising the movement of such vehicle, the applicant shall pay the sum of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per hour per officer. The charge can be prorated into fifteen minute increments.
Signs shall be posted to apprise drivers of the limitations imposed by this section. Such signs shall be in accordance with the standards for traffic control devices of the State Department of Transportation. No driver shall disobey the instructions indicated on any such sign.
Violation of any of the limitations, terms or conditions of the permit granted by the Police Chief shall be cause for immediate revocation or suspension of such permit, and denial of request for any future permit. Such violation shall also subject the violator to the penalty prescribed by subsection (c) hereof.
(c) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor on a first offense; on a second offense within one year after the first offense, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree; on each subsequent offense within one year after the first offense, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree.
The Utility Commission met on Tuesday, June 1, 2021. A video of that meeting is available at
http://mountvernoncityoh.iqm2.com/Citizens/SplitView.aspx?Mode=Video&MeetingID=2062&Format=Agenda .
When you watch it, you will see the City Engineer spouting one vague notion after another about tying an “emergency” in water lines to the destruction of the Edgewood Road neighborhood.
Residents of Edgewood Road neighborhood have been hearing the water line excuse for more than five years. Some “emergency.” In fact, water lines are just the latest excuse to ram ever more traffic through the largest contiguous R-1 neighborhood in Mount Vernon.
It is past time for City Council to halt piecemeal destruction of our neighborhood, when every so called “improvement” the city has made on streets and roads connected to Edgewood has increased the flow of traffic. Increasing traffic makes the neighborhood ever less appealing for residential use.
A qualified engineer should study the effect of ever-increasing traffic on a short residential street that was not designed for such use, has six intercepting cross streets or dead-ending streets in the 3100 feet from Gambier Road to Marieta Drive, crosses hilly terrain and has only a forty-foot right-of-way for 2,072 feet from just north of Gambier Road to the north line of the Oakland Terrace Subdivision.
Edgewood Road has become the default connector between OH 229 (Gambier Road) and US 36 (Coshocton Avenue). This has occurred because City Council has never met its obligation to protect residents by requiring the City Engineer to justify destruction of our residential neighborhood within a comprehensive plan. In the absence of comprehensive planning anything can be justified as responding to an “emergency.” There is no more costly or destructive way to run a city.
It is time to ask, "Why would anyone move to a residence in Mount Vernon when the largest contiguous R-1 residential neighborhood is threatened with destruction? Why would any resident encourage others to believe the slogan, 'Mount Vernon, one of Ohio's Best Home Towns'"?