Dec. 7, 2007
Q: I have two questions. Why is there no amnesty box on base? I discovered some items in my move here that I should not have included but promptly contacted base security to dispose of properly. What I thought would have been a quick and easy exchange with security turned out to be a lengthy, time consuming experience. Also, what are the rules involving the use of crosswalks and the base’s position on crosswalk use enforcement? I saw a woman crossing in front of McDonalds who was nearly struck by a vehicle. Although the driver was able to come to a sudden stop and avoid contact, the woman screamed, threw her hands up and rolled her eyes, all the while still crossing the street while staring at the vehicle. She didn’t put her hand up prior to crossing.

A: We currently do not have amnesty boxes located at the entry control points of the installation, but we are looking into the feasibility of installing them at these locations . Unfortunately, the time it took for you to drop off the items at our Headquarters building was necessary for the proper handling and disposition of these items. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. As for crosswalks, there has been a culture that has been developed over a period of time onboard this installation that pedestrians have the right of way, which they do. Some people take that literally and fail to look both ways and/ or wait until they are sure an oncoming vehicle stops prior to walking out into the street. We constantly inform personnel throughout the installation to be mindful and use the marked crosswalks. We are currently in the process of fielding a test at three of the crosswalks on base to improve pedestrian safety and driver awareness. We hope to have the new crosswalk lighting in place early next year.