| By Bob Weaver
Burnsville Police Chief Jim Ball says Burnsville, a Braxton County town whose population is about 450, is not a speed trap.
Ball's comments are in response to an article on the Hur Herald and multiple stories published in the Glenville Pathfinder regarding the town being a speed trap.
See Chief Jim Ball's Letter To Editor
The Herald article was published following multiple complaints about motorists receiving tickets, with Chief Ball saying "Those who are complaining and writing articles needs to come to an accident scene when people are speeding 85-95 mph and see the end result."
Calhoun and Gilmer County residents frequently pass through the small town at the intersection of State Rt. 5 and I-79, with the Burnsville police department also having jurisdiction for a short section of I-79.
Ball says the National Speed Trap Exchange, mentioned in a Hur Herald article, has "every town and city in West Virginia ... listed on this site." The site does have a number of towns, not all listed.
Ball disallows a number of statements made by Glenville Pathfinder's Corcoran regarding the matter, who was issued a ticket in the town, explaining that the town keeps only a portion of fines issued.
The Herald has issued a public information request to the town regarding individuals and numbers cited/arrested, to help make a more accurate assessment of a problem.
The town does not routinely publish information in their community newspapers regarding citations.
"The police are in a no win situation, but as long as we enforce the law, then we have done our job. Yes, people will complain and others will praise, but our end goal for people traveling is that they return home safely," concluded Ball.
See related story BURNSVILLE SPEED TRAP MAKING NATIONAL LISTS
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