Police report flags localized speeding hot spots; lifeguards logged hundreds of contacts this summer

South Haven Police Chief Adam Dbor told the City Council on July 20 that short, concentrated speed studies show most drivers comply with limits but that certain corridors produce measurable speed spikes.

“On Mineral Boulevard we ran about a 20,000‑vehicle study over a week and roughly 500 vehicles exceeded 30 mph in a 30‑mph zone,” Chief Dbor said, adding that isolated readings above 55 mph and 65 mph likely reflected emergency responses. At Kids Corner (South Haven Street) the weeklong study of about 5,000 vehicles recorded two cars up to 33 mph in a 25‑mph zone, he said.

Dbor said the department will rotate the city’s speed‑awareness trailer and try pole‑mounted solar signs on busy approaches such as Phoenix Street to gather more data and improve compliance. Council members asked the chief to correlate high readings with dispatch activity to check whether emergency response runs were producing the highest speeds.

The chief also gave a detailed lifeguard and beach‑safety update. In a recent 30‑day window lifeguards recorded 360 contacts: 139 preventions, 82 enforcement actions and multiple rescues and major‑medical calls. Year‑to‑date lifeguard totals included 217 preventions, 157 enforcement actions, 39 major medicals and 16 rescues, with many incidents handled by lifeguards without requiring police or ambulance transport.

“Lifeguards are out there working — they’re preventing problems, performing rescues and helping to keep our first‑responders available for other calls,” Dbor said.

Council members asked for clearer, regularly published accident and incident counts so the public can track trends at specific crosswalks and along Broadway and Phoenix Street. The chief said the department can pull UD‑10 accident submissions and internal report counts to support those requests in follow‑up.