Published on Thursday, March 2, 2006
in the Ft. Myers News-Press

Traffic Q & A with an FHP trooper

Florida Highway Patrol officers came to The News-Press Wednesday to speak online with readers who had questions about Southwest Florida traffic.

Lt. Doug Dodson is the public affairs officer for Troop F, which covers 10 Southwest Florida counties including Collier and Lee.

Trooper Lucy Papp is assigned to the Fort Myers district.

Below are some of the questions and answers posted on the Web site. To see the entire exchange, go to the forum section of news-press.com.

Reader question: Is there a shortage of troopers compared with the population in SW Florida? If so, why is that and what can be done about this problem?

FHP answer: In the Fort Myers district there are about 3 or 4 trooper vacancies. The Florida Highway Patrol's director, Col. Christopher Knight, has requested more troopers for the Southwest Florida area because of the growth. It could take some time for these troopers to come aboard. They have to be hired, complete the academy and training. So it might be a while before you see the impact.

Reader question: Does Florida have any laws on the books that state if a driver is not using the passing lane for passing then they must be in the cruising lane?

FHP answer: To provide a safe driving environment you should, if you are in the left lane, pass and then move over.

Reader question: I've witnessed patrol cars and officers at the flea market on U.S. 41 and on the Midpoint Bridge. Why are taxpayers supporting vehicles and personnel for this private function?

FHP Answer: The FHP is under contract with the Department of Transportation to handle the Cape Coral, Midpoint and Sanibel bridges. The troopers you see are working in an off-duty capacity on their own time and they are targeting all traffic violations, particularly speeding through tolls and toll evasion. These toll booths can be very dangerous for the bridge employees and their equipment.

In response to the flea market question, this is approved off-duty employment for those troopers you see. The flea market pays the officers. The troopers reimburse the state for their mileage on off-duty jobs and they are responsible for insuring the state's vehicle.