Ryan Township steps up traffic, bus stop enforcement

BARNESVILLE – One area township has a new police officer and traffic enforcement is stepping up to alleviate speeding on a major thoroughfare and drivers’ illegally passing school buses.

Ryan Township Patrolman Michael Beidelman was hired at last month’s meeting and provided the police report at Monday’s meeting in the absence of Chief Richard Sinton.

Beidelman, who retired from the Allentown Police Department last year, began with school bus traffic enforcement on day one, he said.

“First day, we had a tri-axle almost ran at Grier and 54,” Beidelman said. “He did stop.”

Later, a woman he believed may have been headed to the farmer’s market, ran the school bus stop sign.

He pulled the woman over and issued a citation, which township supervisors vice-chair Clyde “Champ” Holman held up at the meeting.

“This is going in a frame, because we now have a citation,” Holman joked. “Seriously, Mike did a good job here in the first day on the job and we thank you for that.”

The township — like many municipalities statewide — has struggled to attract police officers for its small department.

Beidelman said he’s sat in various areas of the township watching traffic with the overhead lights activated while the department waits for their speed enforcement equipment to be calibrated.

In one location along Route 54, “they were slowing down big time while I was sitting there.”

“They were doing probably about 30mph past me instead of the typical 40 or 50mph,” he said. He’d moved to various locations on Route 54 as well.

Regarding school bus enforcement, Jack Hurst, Mahanoy Area School District business administrator, thanked Beidelman on behalf of himself and the district.

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