Avenue of the Saints needs more attention, Sheriff candidates say

By Chris Baldus   |   cbaldus@charlescitypress.com

Two of three Floyd County sheriff hopefuls at a candidate forum Tuesday night called for increasing the law enforcement presence on the Avenue of the Saints to improve safety. Four lives have ended this year because of crashes on the stretch of highway between Floyd and Rudd.

Floyd County Chief Deputy Jeff Crooks, Charles City Police Officer Bill Vetter and Democratic nominee Marc Lantz were asked at the forum at Trinity United Methodist Church in Charles City how they could make the Avenue of the Saints near Floyd safer.

Lantz answered first by saying a sheriff fills a variety of roles in fixing the problem, such as an engineer who must figure out what the problem is and what can be done.

“Is it a blind spot, or what’s causing all the accidents?” he said.

Then, the sheriff is a communicator. “You have to communicate with the public. Go down to like the radio station and talk to the public about that area and what the problem is,” he said.

Then, the sheriff is the enforcer last. He added: “I don’t believe in writing out tickets.”

Vetter responded second by noting that the sheriff needs to work with the Iowa Department of Transportation and the legislators because they are the ones that can make change such as putting in an overpass. That solution is years down the road and will cost millions in state tax money, he said.

“It’s not going to happen overnight,” he said.

In the meantime, more proactive enforcement around the Floyd intersection could save lives, he said.

“I don’t see a whole lot of local enforcement out there in that intersection making (traffic) slow down,” he said, adding that while traffic tickets aren’t always the answer, pulling drivers over, giving out warnings, can help reduce dangerous speed.

Vetter said he has a personal connection to the intersection.

“My two uncles and cousin were killed in that same intersection in the 80s, so I know the tragic events that happen down there,” he said.

“We all know The Avenue is dangerous,” Crooks said, agreeing that increasing the law enforcement presence there would help change dangerous behaviors.

“People need to be seen out there. Deputies need to be seen. The State Patrol needs to be seen …” he said. “And it’s not all about writing tickets … Once you pull a person over we’ve automatically negated that behavior right there and that’s what we’re looking for. We’re looking for a change in behavior.”