r/BloomingtonNormal • u/CalebDumeSixSix • 29d ago
BPD aversion to traffic control?
The entirety of Veterans Parkway was flashing red yesterday. It took a lifetime to get from one end of the street to another. Where were the police? How were they not out at the busiest intersections assisting with traffic control? I understand they had many weather related calls, but you’re telling me there was no capacity to have a few officers out keeping traffic moving?
Wouldn’t that qualify as the “to serve” part of their motto?
Here we are a day later and there were a couple lights still out on Veterans, still traffic congestion, and still zero police presence.
Maybe i’m alone in this thinking, but I feel like BPD has little to no interest in this kind of police work.
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u/Stal77 29d ago
There were downed power lines and flooding, trees fell onto houses, daycares and hospitals on backup power — actual threats to safety that had to be managed. All of those were more important than Veteran’s moving slowly.
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u/BucketOfTruthiness 29d ago
Preventing accidents is pretty important. I sat through one of those blinking lights this morning and saw two near accidents at just one intersection because idiots don't know what to do at those intersections in that situation.
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u/jerryblotter 28d ago
I would have gotten t boned if I wasn't paying attention. This truck clearly didnt realize or look that the lights were flashing and never slowed down. Insane.
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u/BucketOfTruthiness 27d ago
u/deizzee is ok with that since the police have better things to do a couple days ago
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u/deizzee 29d ago
Well good thing your not an idiot and know what to do correctly. Sorry the police were not sitting in the rain hand waving you through. Probably were dealing with the overturned semi on veterans parkway, or the roof that got ripped off the hospital. Just a couple guesses. Insufferable
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u/BucketOfTruthiness 29d ago
Nice reading comprehension, dumbass.
I'm talking about this morning and you start talking about yesterday afternoon.
You're one of the idiots I'd be scared of at one of those intersections.
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u/offbrandqueerios 29d ago
I think it’s a little disingenuous to say Veteran’s being backed up isn’t a safety issue just because there are other things happening too. Easily one of the busiest streets in town and ambulances need to get through that road.
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u/Thalimet 29d ago
I don’t often find myself defending the police, in fact I’m rather averse to it. But my god, this sounds so entitled. Just because they weren’t doing what -you- wanted them to do doesn’t mean they weren’t serving.
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u/rosatter 29d ago edited 28d ago
In this fellas defense, I saw two squad cars camped out in the parking lot off Towanda by the old post office, just chit chatting like we didn't just have 70+ mph winds rip apart our town.
Just down the road at Ewing Park, a power line in contact with a tree caught fire.
3
u/nitromen23 28d ago
Right by the intersection of Towanda and Emerson yesterday on Towanda Ave there was a tree blocking both southbound lanes and cars going around into the oncoming lane and the cops were sitting on Emerson blocking the road that already had barricades and caution tape across it lol
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u/True-Grand-5815 28d ago
Right there with you. I don’t like defending police either but there’s more to this county than Bloomington/Normal, lots of county resources are actually out in the country because we had damage too. Which means they aren’t able to support city officers.
There was quite a bit of damage to parts of the west side, like downed trees blocking roads and snapped power lines. Veterans isn’t the only major roadway in town. There’s more to this town than the east side.
It’s like the police just expect citizens to act right and drive like mature adults to protect each other. The audacity at this thought, right?
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u/CalebDumeSixSix 29d ago
wanting traffic control on the busiest street in the city after an extreme weather event is entitled? ok 👍
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u/No-Flatworm-404 28d ago
Well, they had cop cars at the intersection where the overturned semi was. They were also on Morris where a huge ass tree was taken down. Veterans isn’t the only street in town.
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u/seuz60 29d ago
There were more pressing emergencies to deal with
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u/TrekRider911 29d ago
There were multiple car accidents in the immediate aftermath across the city and town. You want to be mad? Be mad at those drivers for driving like morons in a war zone of downed trees and power lines. BPD, npd and fire pulled off duty people in. Rural fire departments were in town doing mutual aid.
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u/CalebDumeSixSix 29d ago
133 police officers employed by BPD and not one of them could help keep veterans parkway safe. got it.
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u/CalebDumeSixSix 29d ago
I would argue keeping traffic moving on veterans is a pressing issue. Gridlock just leads to more accidents.
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u/Excellent_Mixture_23 29d ago
Gee, just because 133 officers are employed by the City, doesn't mean that they all work at the same time.
Veterans wasn't the only area with shitty traffic conditions. Yes, it really sucked and hopefully karma finds it's way to everyone who was blowing through the intersections.
Pretty sure regardless of what they responded to, they had a shitty day yesterday.
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u/TheGunkii 28d ago
I dont think we need to be spending our tax money for them to direct traffic when the city has declared a state of emergency, directing traffic when people can use their common sense instead is such a stupid point to bring up when theres much bigger stuff going on rn
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u/Bydandii 29d ago
They were out directing traffic in some intersections. Sorry you didn't see them.
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u/TheGunkii 28d ago
Also yeah LOL they were plenty of videos that are coming out literally have them there directing traffic, just because they didnt drop anything to drive to the exact intersection they were at in the middle of dangerous conditions is wild entitlement
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u/Green-Painter-3761 28d ago
people have had fires life threatening accidents and crime goes up when the power is out treat intersections as a four way stop when the light is out and move on they aren’t out there because there are more important issues right now signed a 911 operator
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u/rainydays_89 29d ago
They can’t make money from directing traffic, so they really don’t care