Couple buys radar to clock speeding neighbors, they catch a cop,...problems ensue

[Terminator]

A Bartow County couple is fighting back against neighborhood speeders. Lee and Teresa Sipple live at the bottom of a steep hill outside of Rome and say most motorists ignore the posted speed limit and zoom by their house, endangering them and their 2-year-old son. But now, fighting back could land them in jail.

Lee and Teresa Sipple have an upcoming court date to see if they will be arrested for messing with a cop.

“My little boy, I don’t, I don’t want him hurt,” Lee Sipple told Channel 2. Lee and his wife, Teresa are tired of neighborhood speeders. “Not that I’m going to teach my child to play out in the street but when they come off that hill, they’re just cooking! I mean, I’ve got people going 50 and 46, a 42, a 37,” explained Lee.

How does Lee know their actual speed? He went out and purchased a radar.

“I’m not trying to get the folks in trouble per se, I’m just trying to slow them down and if they see the radar, they may slow down – but it hasn’t happened yet,” Lee said.

So Lee took it one step further.

“I mean, and I figured, well as much as I hate to do it…” He and his wife spent $1,200 on cameras that capture the evidence. “A picture is worth a thousand words,” said Lee. “It’s not something I can make up. You can sit here and watch it work, as a car goes by.”

Lee has three different cameras trained on the street to catch local speeders red-handed.

“Video evidence – same thing as the red light cameras – and I can grab it, print it, send it, e-mail it…” Lee said.

Lee says his most surprising catch yet? A neighbor who ought to know better. “Kennesaw police officer, you know, coming down the hill and running 34 miles per hour in a 25 mile an hour zone.”

And Lee says it happens quite often.

“Oh, I’ve caught him going 42, 37, going up the hill, down the hill, all kinds of speeds.”

The Kennesaw officer is named Richard Perrone – he declined our request for an interview.

Kennesaw police say they'’ve talked with the Sipples, but can'’t interfere in another county’s business.

“We continue to talk to the officer to continue to find out his side, but it’s ultimately going to come down to Bartow County. It’s their jurisdiction for them to investigate it and enforce the traffic laws in their jurisdiction,” said Officer Scott Luther.

Turns out, Bartow County did get involved, when their deputy knocked on the Sipple’s front door.

“Low and behold, she’s there trying to figure out if she’s going to arrest me or not for harassing him,” said Lee.

That’s right. Perrone is seeking a warrant in Bartow County Court to have Lee and Teresa locked up for stalking.

“I was under the impression that I wasn'’t supposed to be scared of the police, but this officer, he'’s trying to poke at me, trying to intimidate me, trying to harass me,” Lee said. “I live here, I can’t retreat, I can’t go no further back. I mean, what am I to do?”

According to the warrant affidavit filed by Officer Perrone, he says the Sipples did harass him by sending his employer multiple e-mails in an effort to get him in trouble. Kennesaw Police say they are investigating and have counseled Perrone before for improperly flashing his badge at the Sipples. A judge will here Perrone’s stalking application February 14.

[Virginian]

coming down the hill and running 34 miles per hour in a 25 mile an hour zone.

What a dumbass. I guess he wants to get a ticket every time he's going 9 over the limit. F'n moron. Way to mention the cop's name in the paper like he committed a crime.

[Jackalope]

Doesn't the FCC still require a license to operate a radar?

[BEB]

Video on the source page
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/10935892/detail.html

About the only thing the video shows that the story didn't is the street itself. More like a glorified driveway really.

A judge will here Perrone’s stalking application February 14.

Let's check for updates then. And see if the webmonkey has can figure out the difference between HEAR and HERE.

I don't have a problem with what the Sipples are doing. They're trying to get people to slow down and have invested a fair bit of money and a lot of time in trying to do so in a way that doesn't interfere with traffic.

[Virginian]

And see if the webmonkey has can figure out the difference between HEAR and HERE.

Nothing personal, but I love it when people make typos while pointing out typos

[BEB]

DOH!

[10-42Adam]

To back things up a bit, checking out the surrounding area before purchasing a home is one's responsibility in my opinion. I would be damn sure that the streets around my possible future home are no risk to myself, family, or future members of my family that aren't in this world yet. There's so much more that one has to consider when buying a home that many don't even realize, such as surrounding roadways, waterways, airplane travel, etc! If speeders piss those people off as much as they apparently do, they should have purchased a house at the end of a private street!

[Buttercup]

Nothing personal, but I love it when people make typos while pointing out typos

So do I. I also love it when people make rather ironic typos.

Virginian's Nugget

[Vendetta]

My neighbor did this exact thing. He bought a cheap baseball radar gun. He called me bitching all the time and when he got the gun he said he had caught people running 45,50, etc in a 25 mph zone on a narrow ass street.
I went down and checked he radar unit out...................then switched it from Kilometers to MPH. He was so embarassed he hasnt complained again

[Virginian]

Hey! No making fun of me, I'm a model of speling and, grammer!

[Piggybank Cop]

Got two words:

Speed Bumps.

[chris2001]

Got two words:

Speed Bumps.

Wouldn't work around here the kids would see how far they could get their cars off the ground with them.

[Buttercup]

Hey! No making fun of me, I'm a model of speling and, grammer!

Yes you are!

[jmur5074]

Sounds to me like someone has more money than he knows what to do with.

[Roses]

I don't have a problem with what the Sipples are doing. They're trying to get people to slow down and have invested a fair bit of money and a lot of time in trying to do so in a way that doesn't interfere with traffic.

I do, they aren't paid to enforce the law! I have no idea what kind of person or persons they are. As far as I'm concerned they may have some serious issues and I don't want them around me or my kids.

[BEB]

I do, they aren't paid to enforce the law! I have no idea what kind of person or persons they are. As far as I'm concerned they may have some serious issues and I don't want them around me or my kids.

They're not enforcing law or being around anyone or their kids. If the guy was chasing down people for speeding I wouldn't be supporting him. He's noting people speeding and sending them emails or letters it sounds like. To me it's just the 21st century version of the cranky old man yelling from his porch "slow down!". Army of one Neighborhood Watch.

I'm just glad he doesn't have a display up showing "Your Speed is" like the city likes to put up around here. Those things are just an invitation for people to see how fast their Hemi can make the numbers jump while they're distracted from the road. Hate those things.

Sure, it's a little strange, and if he was my neighbor and emailed me I'd probably be irritated. Then I'd sign his email address up on a bunch of spam lists, laugh and wait to see what weird Lee from down the block does next.

[Roses]

I'll stand by my perspective, thanks for your input!

[Ducky]

“I live here, I can’t retreat, I can’t go no further back.

They should have spent their tax return on self improvement - specifically speech and diction classes. Then they could have articulated to the county council that they could make a killing in tickets by requesting an officer there to run radar, as well as telling the guy at the hardware store that they need a fence.

[Piggybank Cop]

Wouldn't work around here the kids would see how far they could get their cars off the ground with them.

Not theirs; daddy's.

[Jackalope]

Hey you cop types.... my question wasn't rhetorical.

Does the FCC still require a license to operate a radar or not?