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Madison Township dad concerned for safety of deaf son packs radar gun | Mansfield News Journal | mansfieldnewsjournal.com
A note of warning: Speed down Walker Avenue at your own risk.
Authorities may not stop you, but Charles Canankamp just might.
For the next two weeks, the Madison Township father of four plans to stand outside his home, 92 S. Walker Ave., with a bright radar gun and a silver Panasonic video camera on a tripod, recording cars as they go by.
"I will even jump out in front of cars and ask them to slow down if I see one going too fast," Canankamp said. "I get cussed out every time, but I don't care. I'll chase someone home if I have to -- and I have ... I don't care if I have to follow them all the way home to Columbus."
His first day clocking passers-by was Thursday. He spent nearly three hours on duty.
Why such dedication?
"I have a deaf son and three other kids. One of these days a car is going to come flying past here and hit someone," said Canankamp, who said his children frequently play in their front yard and driveway. "We've lived here about four years and I've complained to the sheriff's department. I'll call dispatch and they'll send more officers out, but I never see a difference."
Canankamp said he struggled to get "Caution: Deaf Child Area" signs installed for years, but they eventually were put in place.
"I'd like to see officers travel down this road at least 30 times a day," he said. "I think that'd be reasonable."
Maj. Dale Fortney said the sheriff's department handles calls for service as manpower permits.
"But we obviously don't have personnel to station someone there 30 times a day," Fortney said. "We have about 30 less deputies than when (Sheriff Steve Sheldon) took office in '04. We think the safety of all children is paramount, but we have to base our services on availability and manpower."
Although he only recently attained his speed monitoring equipment, Canankamp said he's been watching traffic on his street for years.
"There's a big bump on my road if you're traveling south, and people are going so fast they practically ground out their cars when they go over it," Canankamp said. "Then there's a big curve if you're traveling north that cars take so fast it looks like they're squatting down on one side. They'll kick up all kinds of dust. It's only 25 miles per hour around here, and you can tell when someone is going too fast."
The radar gun will be able to help verify that. Canankamp estimates cars travel between 45 and 60 miles per hour down the street, on average.
"I'm clocking them, along with videotaping them, and then as they drive by, I'll show the speed to the camera," Canankamp said. "After two weeks, I'll compile all the data and take it to the sheriff's department, and hope that will inspire them to come out here and get something done."
Since he moved in, Canankamp said he's asked three to four times each year for a roadside monitor to show drivers their speed, to no avail.
"They finally promised to get one out here by the 15th," he said. "I hope they follow through."
Canankamp said his 5-year-old son Spencer was born 50 percent deaf, and became completely deaf within the first six months of his life.
After receiving cochlear implants, Canankamp said, his son is now able to hear better than the average person.
"But if they were to fall out while he's riding his bike or something, he wouldn't be able to hear a car coming," Canankamp said.
Neighbors have mixed feelings about Canankamp's attempt to clock cars.
"I would say cars travel down here at a normal rate," said neighbor Deanna Au. "I don't think it's any worse than any other road somewhere, but with his son being deaf, I can understand his concern. It doesn't bother me that he's clocking people -- as long as I don't end up with a ticket."
Janci Cains, whose mother has lived across the street for 14 years, said she's frequently in the neighborhood to visit.
"Why would you let your kids ride anywhere near the street if you're worried?" she said. "I just don't understand. We have so many laid off deputies you can't expect them to be down this street all the time. I agree people need to slow down, but they need to slow down everywhere. ... He needs to take a look at his own driving habits if that's the case. If you're going to tape us, we should get to tape him."
Canankamp admits he's not the perfect driver.
"I've caught myself speeding sometimes, but I'll always slow down when I catch myself. I don't care if people went 35 down here, but it's when you go over 45 that I get upset," he said.
"My dad is doing something good," his 10-year-old daughter Emma said. "He might get someone to slow down, which is good because my brother could be riding his bike and someone could come up behind him and hit him."
A note of warning: Speed down Walker Avenue at your own risk.
Authorities may not stop you, but Charles Canankamp just might.
For the next two weeks, the Madison Township father of four plans to stand outside his home, 92 S. Walker Ave., with a bright radar gun and a silver Panasonic video camera on a tripod, recording cars as they go by.
"I will even jump out in front of cars and ask them to slow down if I see one going too fast," Canankamp said. "I get cussed out every time, but I don't care. I'll chase someone home if I have to -- and I have ... I don't care if I have to follow them all the way home to Columbus."
His first day clocking passers-by was Thursday. He spent nearly three hours on duty.
Why such dedication?
"I have a deaf son and three other kids. One of these days a car is going to come flying past here and hit someone," said Canankamp, who said his children frequently play in their front yard and driveway. "We've lived here about four years and I've complained to the sheriff's department. I'll call dispatch and they'll send more officers out, but I never see a difference."
Canankamp said he struggled to get "Caution: Deaf Child Area" signs installed for years, but they eventually were put in place.
"I'd like to see officers travel down this road at least 30 times a day," he said. "I think that'd be reasonable."
Maj. Dale Fortney said the sheriff's department handles calls for service as manpower permits.
"But we obviously don't have personnel to station someone there 30 times a day," Fortney said. "We have about 30 less deputies than when (Sheriff Steve Sheldon) took office in '04. We think the safety of all children is paramount, but we have to base our services on availability and manpower."
Although he only recently attained his speed monitoring equipment, Canankamp said he's been watching traffic on his street for years.
"There's a big bump on my road if you're traveling south, and people are going so fast they practically ground out their cars when they go over it," Canankamp said. "Then there's a big curve if you're traveling north that cars take so fast it looks like they're squatting down on one side. They'll kick up all kinds of dust. It's only 25 miles per hour around here, and you can tell when someone is going too fast."
The radar gun will be able to help verify that. Canankamp estimates cars travel between 45 and 60 miles per hour down the street, on average.
"I'm clocking them, along with videotaping them, and then as they drive by, I'll show the speed to the camera," Canankamp said. "After two weeks, I'll compile all the data and take it to the sheriff's department, and hope that will inspire them to come out here and get something done."
Since he moved in, Canankamp said he's asked three to four times each year for a roadside monitor to show drivers their speed, to no avail.
"They finally promised to get one out here by the 15th," he said. "I hope they follow through."
Canankamp said his 5-year-old son Spencer was born 50 percent deaf, and became completely deaf within the first six months of his life.
After receiving cochlear implants, Canankamp said, his son is now able to hear better than the average person.
"But if they were to fall out while he's riding his bike or something, he wouldn't be able to hear a car coming," Canankamp said.
Neighbors have mixed feelings about Canankamp's attempt to clock cars.
"I would say cars travel down here at a normal rate," said neighbor Deanna Au. "I don't think it's any worse than any other road somewhere, but with his son being deaf, I can understand his concern. It doesn't bother me that he's clocking people -- as long as I don't end up with a ticket."
Janci Cains, whose mother has lived across the street for 14 years, said she's frequently in the neighborhood to visit.
"Why would you let your kids ride anywhere near the street if you're worried?" she said. "I just don't understand. We have so many laid off deputies you can't expect them to be down this street all the time. I agree people need to slow down, but they need to slow down everywhere. ... He needs to take a look at his own driving habits if that's the case. If you're going to tape us, we should get to tape him."
Canankamp admits he's not the perfect driver.
"I've caught myself speeding sometimes, but I'll always slow down when I catch myself. I don't care if people went 35 down here, but it's when you go over 45 that I get upset," he said.
"My dad is doing something good," his 10-year-old daughter Emma said. "He might get someone to slow down, which is good because my brother could be riding his bike and someone could come up behind him and hit him."