Is a Bradenton police officer pulling you over? What to know about agency’s new lights
The next time you see police lights behind you in Bradenton, you might want to check twice before pulling over.
The Bradenton Police Department has begun to roll out the use of new “cruise lights” on patrol vehicles throughout the city. After the agency introduced them in a video online, some residents suggested that they might cause confusion for some drivers.
“Flashing or not, if I see red and blue lights behind me, I’m pulling over. It’s what most of us have been taught, like a natural instinct,” one Facebook user wrote.
In a news release, Bradenton police described the red and blue cruise lights as “low-intensity, steady-burning lights designed to increase the visibility of police vehicles, deter crime, and enhance community safety.”
Officers began using the cruise lights while in downtown Bradenton a few weeks ago, according to Meredith Censullo, a spokesperson for the Bradenton Police Department. As of Tuesday, she said officers in marked vehicles will use cruise lights during routine patrols throughout the city.
“Cruise lights are another tool in the toolbox for enhanced community policing. Their use lets the community know we’re in the area and helps citizens who need assistance easily locate an officer,” Censullo told the Bradenton Herald.
Will new police lights confuse Bradenton drivers?
But some residents took to social media to express concerns about the new lights and the potential for confusion.
Another Facebook user expressed similar sentiments, saying they thought the new lights would have “everyone on the road stopping because they think they got pulled over,” in addition to “desensitizing everyone to the lights” to the point where they may “ignore them during a true emergency.”
Despite the similarities, police say residents can differentiate between cruise lights and emergency lights by paying attention to the intensity of the lights and whether they are flashing.
If the lights are bright and flashing, they are emergency lights, police say. If they are not flashing, they are cruise lights.
Cruise lights are solid red and blue and appear dimmer than emergency lights, police say. But depending on the vehicle, the number of lights may vary slightly, with newer vehicles also featuring lights along the sides.
Residents who encounter cruise lights do not need to pull over because the non-flashing lights “do not signify an emergency.”
Officers will still use the standard emergency patrol lights during traffic stops or when responding to emergencies. Police say their flashing emergency lights are brighter and are accompanied by sirens.
Other Florida law enforcement agencies, such as the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, have also begun using cruise lights.
Bradenton police tout officer safety
Censullo said one of the main reasons BPD chose to use cruise lights is to “enhance officer safety.”
“A primary concern for officers during traffic stops and roadside incidents is the risk posed by passing traffic, especially at night or in low-visibility conditions. Cruise lights can mitigate this risk by making the vehicle more conspicuous to ongoing drivers from all angles,” Censullo said.
This increased visibility can also translate to “heightened awareness among drivers, prompting them to slow down and move over,” Censullo said.
The goal, Censullo said, is for the lights to “show a presence without being a distraction.”
While some expressed worry about the cost of the new lights, with one Facebook user calling them a “waste of tax dollars,” Censullo said the cruise lights come at no additional cost.
Despite the new implementation of cruise lights, Censullo said the agency didn’t add any additional lights to their vehicles. Instead, she said it was an existing feature the vehicles were always capable of, it was “just a matter of turning them on.”
While Censullo said that officers on the road have not yet experienced anyone expressing confusion over the difference between cruise lights and the standard emergency patrol lights, she said it is a brand-new effort. The agency welcomes community feedback, she said.
