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I try to give people a lot of slack, but I have to say, I am continually disappointed with the Plymouth, MN police department’s lack of responsiveness to traffic issues.  They certainly are on the job when they want to do a sting to get speeding drivers (not that I have been caught), but when there are traffic lights “not working” during rush hour, rarely can they be found directing traffic.

Having spent lots of time in San Francisco, New York and Chicago, when a light goes out, the cops are on it.  Usually in a matter of moments a squad car shows up and the officers get out and start getting traffic moving.  That doesn’t happen here in Plymouth, MN – once named the Best Small City in America to Live in 2008 – but not to drive!

Perhaps the issue is that the lights are out on Highway 55 at Fernbrook and there is a dispute between the Minnesota State Highway Patrol and the City of Plymouth as to who’s responsibility it is to show up and get traffic moving.  Either way, their lack of response is unbelievably poor.

It’s not like the police are tied up in fighting criminals in this city.   Maybe moving traffic through the city isn’t their responsibility.  I don’t know, but it would seem to me to be a pretty important task to make sure traffic moves through the city during rush hour.  Clearly they do not agree.

Over and over again, when the light go out on Highway 55 in Plymouth, MN the cops are no where to be found.

Oh, and lastly, when I called the Plymouth, MN police department to report that the lights were out, traffic was at a virtual stand still because the lights weren’t working.  The office asked me, “are you sure the lights aren’t working?  We have received reports that they are flashing red.” Okay, that’s a technicality.  To the average driver, the lights aren’t working when they are flashing red during rush hour.  She said the State Patrol and the Plymouth police have been made aware of the issue.  Oh good…I’m glad you’re on it guys.  I hope you don’t respond this way during a life threatening situation.  I guess it’s okay to just waste thousands of peoples’ time because you can’t get a squad car to that intersection.

Imagine the service you can expect if and when they have to start cutting the police departments budget.

Next time a light is out in Plymouth, don’t bother to call to report it.  They will already know about it and they aren’t coming to help.

Rant for the day.