By Allison Choike
GUIDON staff

The Directorate of Emergency Services and 342nd Military Police Battalion will be using unmarked patrol cars on the roadways of Fort Leonard Wood to enforce the cell phone policy — a regulation that is becoming increasingly harder to enforce.

“I don’t think it is an issue of people being ignorant of the no cell phone policy,” said Maj. Kurt Nielson, executive officer and deputy provost marshal, 342nd MP Bn. “The majority of what we are seeing is the deliberant or willful avoidance of adhering to that policy.”

Don Rose, directorate of emergency services deputy director, said there have been unmarked cars used on Fort Leonard Wood in the past.

“It is done in surges,” Rose said. “We (DES) pick an event — seat belt check points, cell phone coverage, any problem area — and surge on that area.”

Rose said in the cell phone usage policy letter, MPs are directed to aggressively pursue violators of the regulation.

“When it (policy) first came out, we aggressively pursued it, and we still aggressively pursue it,” he said.

Nielson said violators have gained the attention of many on the installation.

“Every day when we drive our personally owned vehicles home or off post, you see Soldiers doing it (talking on cell phones), and it is very frustrating,” Nielson said. “The patrol cars are not being able to pick this up because we have people setting the phone down when they see them. Then, when the patrols drive by, they return to their conversations. That has gotten some attention, and it has gotten our attention as well.”

Rose said putting unmarked cars on the roadways is a direct response to the violations done by Soldiers and installations employees.

“We are not talking about grandma and grandpa that comes to see their son graduate and just doesn’t know the difference,” Rose said. “These are not the people we are concentrating on — it is the Fort Leonard Wood employees and Soldiers who know the regulation and policy and are willfully avoiding to adhere to it.”

Nielson said the unmarked vehicles are non-descript, government vehicles with a form of emergency lighting either on the dashboard or grill of the vehicle. Military Police patrol officers will be operating the vehicles in Army Combat Uniforms and will identify themselves as military police.

Rose said there is still a $50 fine, plus a $25 administration fee for violators of the cell phone policy.

“Bottom line, don’t use your cell phone — or if you are going to, use it with a hands free device,” Nielson said.

If anyone has reason to doubt the authenticity of the person stopping them and identifying themselves as a military police patrol officer, once safely stopped, call the military police desk sergeant at 596.6141.