(06/30/06) BELLEVILLE ? Police in Essex County hope a crackdown on speeding vehicles will reduce injuries and fatalities in the area.

A main area of concern in the crackdown is pedestrian safety. According to police, certain streets and areas will be targeted by police in the operation. In Belleville, police say a particular problem area is the spot where motorists exit off Route 21 and drive on to Main Street. Police say drivers routinely drive through the area 20 miles per hour over the posted speed limit.

Police say officers will be paid overtime to ticket speeding drivers. Members of the police department say they?re not ticket happy, they just want to save lives.