A week and a half ago, Pine Bluff Police Department officials said there was going to be a crackdown on traffic violators.
"We're doing this to try to get the word out. ... Don't come to Pine Bluff with that aggression," said Assistant Police Chief Kelvin Hadley, who made the comments at a Public Safety Committee meeting. "We are going to be in full force this weekend, and hopefully we can make a difference and curb some of this behavior that has been affecting our community."
That behavior included drivers spinning their wheels, speeding and drag racing.
And good to their word, the police did get out into the middle of that mess, writing tickets and, along the way, confiscating guns and drugs.
The "no-tolerance" effort was a collaboration with the Police Department, the Jefferson County sheriff's office and the Arkansas State Police.
The Sunday patrol, which lasted several hours, resulted in three felony arrests, four drug arrests and three warrant arrests, as well as four illegal firearms seized, 11 vehicles impounded, two ATVs impounded and 66 traffic citations. In all, there were 90 enforcement actions of one kind or another.
That would seem to be a pretty effective shot across the bow to those who would come to town to create havoc.
Part of the plan was to make life a little more miserable for these folks. Instead of writing a ticket and sending the driver on his way, the idea was to write a ticket and then have the vehicle towed. Otherwise, they just continue drag racing, hoping not to get caught again. And no one wants to deal with a tow truck company that has impounded your car.
Apparently, these traffic-law scofflaws hail from elsewhere.
"What is happening is there are people coming from other cities," Council Member Ivan Whitfield told the safety committee. "They're coming here with the misunderstanding that they can disobey the traffic laws. They think they can do burnouts in the middle of the street."
That sounds like a situation that should never have been allowed to happen in the first place. Nevertheless, it's a good and necessary step for law enforcement authorities to step up and put a stop to this. It is dangerous for other drivers and an annoyance if nothing else. And as Whitfield pointed out, people are out on the weekends enjoying the sun and springtime, and that activity does not mix well with speeding cars.
Perhaps the crackdown will scare this collection of bad actors away from Pine Bluff and send the message: Go spin your wheels somewhere else. You are not welcome in these parts. If not, then the police action should continue until the message does get through.