Freeborn County deputies will have a new weapon to combat speeding: A laser that can pinpoint a vehicle’s speed more precisely than traditional radar guns.

The Freeborn County Sheriff’s Department is one of nine agencies in the state out of 277 to receive the new equipment, valued around $3,500, for free from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS).

The device, a Kustom ProLaser III, uses a three-foot wide beam accurate up to 1,000 feet. The beam is much smaller than those emitted by radar guns, and therefore can better pinpoint one vehicle traveling in a group, said Sheriff’s Office Supervisor Bob Kindler.

&uot;Normally a typical radar gun picks out the one in front,&uot; he said. &uot;This is better at targeting specific vehicles.&uot;

Another advantage is that the laser can beat radar detectors, many of which don’t detect laser beams, said deputy Shane Klokonos. Other radar detectors are sensitive to lasers, but because the laser beams used by the device are so narrow, it’s less likely the laser will set off the detector.

Freeborn County was selected to receive the equipment because of its participation in the Safe and Sober program’s May seat-belt mobilization.

&uot;Traffic enforcement may not be seen as the most glamorous job in the department, but it is more likely to save a life than nearly anything else we can do,&uot; Kindler said.

Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for Minnesotans between the ages of six months and 34 years old, according to the DPS. Speed enforcement is key, because the severity of injuries is linked to the speed a vehicle was traveling before an accident, said Susie Palmer of the DPS.

Vehicle accidents cost an estimated $9.4 million in 2001, Palmer said.