COEUR d'ALENE — Is it a speed trap if you know where the cops will be waiting?

It’s the “trap” part of that question that led the Coeur d’Alene Police Department to change its approach to monitoring traffic infractions. As of July 13, officers’ locations are posted in advance on the department’s Facebook page.

“I’m all about transparency and being open,” said Coeur d’Alene Police Chief Lee White. “Law enforcement isn’t a game of ‘gotcha’ and we are not out to get the public, whether it be a speeding violation or another violation. We’re just out there to keep people safe and we need the public to know they can trust us.”

White told The Press the idea for the Facebook initiative came from a fellow police chief who spoke to him about how effective the program was in his department. After giving the idea some thought, White jumped on board and, last week, members of the department began making daily posts on Facebook.

Entrapment it’s not.

“Good morning to our motorists! The C.A.R.E. (Community Accident Reduction through Education) unit will be working traffic speed enforcement today on 15th Street south of I-90. The posted speed limit for this area is 25 mph. (We would love to clock you at or below it.) Please drive safely, no matter where you are headed,” Friday’s post read.

The posts, White said, are an easy way to educate the public about traffic safety laws, all while informing them police officers are out in the community trying to keep people safe.

“Let’s not mince words here — the primary purpose of our traffic enforcement program is to keep the public safe and reduce collisions in our city,” White added. “That’s it. It’s not about generating revenue or anything like that.”

White hopes the posts will help the department start conversations on traffic and driving safely. Just a glance at one of the posts, he said, might deter someone from driving too fast throughout the city, not just in the area where traffic enforcement is occurring that day.

“If nothing else, they’re thinking about traffic safety and they slow down because of it,” White said.

An increased following on social media also has other benefits to the department, according to White. When an incident has just occurred and it’s important to get word out to the public as quickly as possible, social media is an ideal way to do that.

“If I’m a Coeur d’Alene resident who looks once a day to see where traffic enforcement is going on that day and happen to also see something about an Amber Alert, then we’ve really increased what we’re trying to do there,” White said. “But they have to be going there on a pretty regular basis to know about it.”

The police department, White said, is contacted often by residents worried about dangerous driving in their area. Using Facebook to let the entire community know that a request for extra patrols is being followed up on not only builds community trust, he said, but can have a positive impact on everyone driving through the mentioned area.

Although the program was only recently started, White said residents are already responding to it.

“I’ve gotten some really positive feedback from people who are saying they appreciate our efforts and that we’re being transparent about this,” White said.

The Coeur d’Alene Police Department’s Facebook page can be found at www.facebook.com/CoeurdAlenePD.