Columbus Police Chief Selvain McQueen is pushing for his officers to become better, safer drivers.
To do this, he is enlisting the help of Sam Medore, a retired teacher who has about 34 years of experience teaching driver’s education.
“I want to help out. I want to get involved,” Medore said. “I want police to be a role model.”
Medore spent 45 years as a teacher in Virginia and was in the Marine Corps. He is originally from Dover, N.J., but now lives in Columbus. He is going to ride with officers while they patrol, offering tips and pointers to make them better drivers.
“We want (the police officers) to be role models to watch them do signals, stop when they are supposed to stop and follow the rules,” he said.
Woody Clark, city garage director, said five squad vehicles were totaled this year in wrecks. Clark said the officers were not necessarily at fault in all five. Some of the incidents include one vehicle going through high water and one being hit by another vehicle on Highway 82 East.
Clark said fender-benders cost about $400 to 500 to repair.
“There are a few incidents where they hit a pole or were involved in a fender bender,” Clark said.
Medore started working with officers at the beginning of December, and he plans to continue as long as he is needed. He rides with each officer at least three times and sometimes as much as five.
Some of the things he is going over include driving laws, working the radio dispatch and other policing duties while driving safely.
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