BREA

Motorists who run red lights might think they have a head start on police officers wary of zipping through cross traffic to chase them. But new handmade devices are turning the tables.

Indicators are being installed at busy intersections to let police know when traffic signals they aren’t directly facing are changing.

Each device consists of a few inches of plastic irrigation pipe and some simple electronic components synchronized with traffic signals but facing different directions. When there’s a red light at a signal, a light on the indicator mounted on the traffic light tells officers who aren’t facing the signal that the light has changed.

Total cost per device: $25, Police Chief William C. Lentini said.