Police using motorists for fundraising
 

If you've noticed an increase in the number of police speed traps of late, you are not alone.

Traffic police in Michigan and elsewhere in the United States are turning motorists into mobile cash dispensers, as states' fund-raising efforts turn desperate.

Aside from the blatant misuse of law enforcement resources, this trend effectively amounts to a hidden taxation program and hopefully should arouse a public backlash...

The rest of the story...

:iagree: With the article. Especially where it gives reference to ticketing some of the other traffic offenses like weavers and left lane Sunday drivers etc. Seems like speeding tickets are where the Easy Money is, whereas the other traffic violations are harder to pick out or come across.
:shrug01:

The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority has announced a $1.2 million budget deficit for FY08. The Authority has ordered that deficit to be made up by increased speeding tickets on the Massachusetts Turnpike, which is I-90 from the New York state line to Boston. And if this isn't bad enough the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority is a Commiewealth jobs program for every DemocRat Hack from Beacon Hill (Mass. Statehouse) who was either fired for gross incompetence, corruption or voted out of office.

Speed cameras and traps
 

It's been happening, here in Britain, for years now. The idea of further taxing the motorist was led by the Chief Constable for North Wales - Richard Brunstrom, who lives down the road from here. I'm surprised there isn't a bounty on his head:D. Let's hope it doesn't become as bad for you guys as it has for us. Everyone I know has been nicked for speeding around here lately:mad:. We even have average speed cameras, which take several hi-res pictures at 1-mile intervals and electronically send you a ticket through the post. I used to like living here, but I feel like a foreigner in my own country and I'm being taxed to death here. If anyone owns an engineering company over there and needs a hard worker then please help!!!

Law Enforcement Officers are "damned if they do, damned if they don't". If they aren't enforcing the law it's because they are just sitting around eating donuts being lazy and if they do enforce the law they are just harassing the public. Speed limits are laws, break them, pay the consequences.

It would be nice if it were that simple. When local authorities use "the law" as nothing more than a cynical means to fill the local treasury the people can't be criticized for their resenting "the law". It's too bad that law enforcement finds itself in the middle of this public farce many times, but they rarely do anything to encourage "local authorities" to end this abuse. I guess we can call it karma...

And there isn't anyone posting to this thread right now who isn't a law breaker every day. So let's stop the...

Larry I couldn't have said it better if I tried and I totally agree.

Tell me folks what's the first thing you say when some a**hole cuts you off or nearly runs you off the road, or goes flying by you like your standing still ? "Where's a cop when you need one?

I agree...but...just last friday, I'm in my truck (Big BOFO LANDCRUISER with a steel brush bar. 5k+ of lifted bust your asss truck ! Get the picture?) This A**hole chick in a passenger car simply hangs a left from the lane next to me about midship of her passenger door.:eek::eek:

If I had not been paying attention, I'd have hit her broadside and pushed her yuoung ass to Bruce B. Downs (30th street)...we were just east of 22nd st:lmao::mad:).

Now, here's the rub...Deputy Sheriff right behind me...see's the entire mess and does nada, zip, zilch, sheet for nothing!!!:mad::mad::mad::mad:

FWIW, I was in charge of our motor squad here in Hillsborough County until I retired. I don't always blame the deputy/police officer or Trooper because they're just doing what they have to do. Sometimes you get a gugn ho arsehole that really enjoys writing tickets for BS, but like our motor guys (at the time) we wrote major moving violations, speed in excess of 15 in most places (except school zones) and serious equiptment violations.

Then it started.....:rolleyes:

Although it's ILLEGAL In' Florida to have quotas, suggestions are certainly made regularly. If you want to retain your position on the squad, you'll write X number of citations. If you want to get promoted, depending on your supervisor, you'll write X # of citations....activity, activity, activity:(

Forget the bad guy go write a ticket. Now granted, many many criminals are captured on traffic stops:thumbsup:and they are great probable cause for other things, but a lot of this chicken chit ticket writing is simply revenue.

When the municipalities started losing funding, instead of learning to live within a budget such as you and I and any other non-governmental business, they simply started increasing ticket revenues.

There's a relatively simple fix for speeding, red light running, and such and I've said it dozens of times before. Take the "human factor" out, remove or severly limit driving school options, and make fines and penalties much stiffer.

If we really gave a chit about safety, this is where it would be now. The rest of this is revenue.

Finally, I see all the unmarked trucks, toyotas, etc we are using for "enforcement" and it saddens me:(

Traffic enforcement is and alway should be about education first. If I stop you and it's get's your attention, stops the action and will likely get the attention of all the other motorist passing by (ever notice how people automatically slow down?), then I've done my job:thumbsup:

Aarrrrrggghhh!!!! I gotta shut up now!!! Have to get back to work.

This whole thing pisses me off!:mad:

It's not completely up to LEO's to "encourage local authorities" to end the so called abuse. If you have a problem with speed limits or their enforcement you should direct your "rant" to the "local authorities" who can actually change policy!
As for daily law breakers, be careful of who you are throwing stones at and where you are throwing them from.

He has a point. :thumbsup:

It's rarely up to us (them) what the speed limits are going nor do we know when the administration is going to get thier panties in a wad and decide to start getting crazy with traffic tickets:(

We note trouble areas based oin stats, TARS and personal observations and deal with them the best way we (they) can.

If we have a problem with a particular intersection or a light, then you'll see vigerous enforcement.

Speed, thats up to the officer, but I seldom wrote anyone outside a school zone under 15 over the limit.

What I have a problem with is when the administration starts using citations as revenue generators:( That's not what TLE is all about folks!!!

And when officers hide (yes, hide!) and watch no "U" turn signs and such crap instead of proactively patrolling the streets (which deters othe crime as well as traffic enforcement), then I have an issue.
If you want to save lives, BE SEEN!!!!!