# So Cops Have These Things Now... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 16, 2011, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-cops-have-these-things-now/571604 "2011-02-16T17:50:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-cops-have-these-things-now/571604/141 "2012-01-22T00:16:51Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Also, traffic tickets are not issued as revenue sources. [Jericho](http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/09/fire_chief_shot_by_cop_in_arka.html), Arkansas. I need an embarrassed smiley. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-cops-have-these-things-now/571604/142 "2012-01-22T00:52:16Z")
> [@Audrey\_Levins](#): > > Check out the links Airman posted on the prior page, Clothahump. Traffic tickets are indeed issued as revenue sources; we have a small town here in the middle of San Antonio with its own police force with an artificially low speed limit on their section of Broadway Street specifically to pay for itself. The number of traffic tickets issued by the Alamo Heights PD (which by the way calls San Antonio PD for any real crimes committed within Alamo Heights) is legendary. They make money off traffic tickets. > > And there are ticket traps like this all over the country. It’s not exactly news. Nobody said speed traps were right. But traffic tickets were not INTENDED as revenue sources. Just because a few departments abuse them does not mean all departments abuse them. And if enough people raise hell about it, the city will be sanctioned for the speed trap, such as Selma, Tx was back in the 80s. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-cops-have-these-things-now/571604/143 "2012-01-22T01:10:05Z")
You didn’t say that traffic tickets aren’t INTENDED as revenue sources, you said they aren’t ISSUED as revenue sources, and aside from the legitimacy of it, you are entirely wrong. ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-cops-have-these-things-now/571604/144 "2012-01-22T16:28:04Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Nobody said speed traps were right. But _ **traffic tickets were not INTENDED as revenue sources** _. Just because a few departments abuse them does not mean all departments abuse them. And if enough people raise hell about it, the city will be sanctioned for the speed trap, such as Selma, Tx was back in the 80s. (bolding mine) IIRC, the state of Texas passed a law to help prevent that sort of abuse. Something along the lines of ‘no more than 30% of collected fines shall go into the treasury of the department writing the citations, with the remainder going to the state’. Sorry, I don’t have a cite at the moment. I’ll try to find one and report back. ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-cops-have-these-things-now/571604/145 "2012-01-22T16:31:31Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > [Jericho](http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/09/fire_chief_shot_by_cop_in_arka.html), Arkansas. > > I need an embarrassed smiley. I thought that’s what this :o was. Personally, I think it looks more like a yawn, or a BJ smiley. 😉 Whatever became of all of that? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-cops-have-these-things-now/571604/146 "2012-01-22T17:43:10Z")
> [@JBDivmstr](#): > > (bolding mine) > > IIRC, the state of Texas passed a law to help prevent that sort of abuse. Something along the lines of ‘no more than 30% of collected fines shall go into the treasury of the department writing the citations, with the remainder going to the state’. > Sorry, I don’t have a cite at the moment. I’ll try to find one and report back. As I mentioned up thread in my state it’s much higher than that. One of the states tactics for raising revenue is to raise fines. But that doesn’t matter to the guy writing the ticket. In fact certain increases have led to many I know to stop writing certain tickets. And no cop is going to care much that the governor has trouble making his budget. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-cops-have-these-things-now/571604/147 "2012-01-22T17:51:28Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > As I mentioned up thread in my state it’s much higher than that. One of the states tactics for raising revenue is to raise fines. But that doesn’t matter to the guy writing the ticket. In fact certain increases have led to many I know to stop writing certain tickets. And no cop is going to care much that the governor has trouble making his budget. No, the governor probably doesn’t, but the mayor and the local police chief matter a LOT to city cops writing tickets, and it’s the smaller towns that are more likely to engage in speed traps as a revenue tactic. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-cops-have-these-things-now/571604/148 "2012-01-22T18:38:00Z")
How many “speed traps” are there anyway? I have not had a problem with them. It seems so simple, you don’t want a ticket? Don’t exceed the speed limit. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-cops-have-these-things-now/571604/149 "2012-01-22T18:50:40Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > No, the governor probably doesn’t, but the mayor and the local police chief matter a LOT to city cops writing tickets, and it’s the smaller towns that are more likely to engage in speed traps as a revenue tactic. And the mayor and police chief don’t care if the vast majority of the fines goes directly to the state. You are right whenever I have heard of tickets being pushed for revenue it’s always small towns. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-cops-have-these-things-now/571604/150 "2012-01-22T18:58:20Z")
OK, let me address this with a personal anecdote. We all know that this will be totally accepted a factual, right? Ahhh, what the heck. Let me try anyway. I live in Athens, Georgia and regularly commute to the northeast suburbs of Atlanta, a city called Duluth (and yes, it got its name from the Minnesota city). The distance is about 65 miles. One way. OK, so along my commute I go through quite a number of quaint little communities, one of which is named [Arcade](http://arcade.georgia.gov/05/home/0,2230,8901975,00.html;jsessionid=4CB695C238CCFBE5EF4DCC8DB4D89088). I am on a highway, GA 129 going about 70 MPH (in a nominally posted 65 MPH zone). The town of Arcade had apparently gotten permission to drop the speed limit on the section of highway that ran adjacent to their fair city to 45 MPH. They then set a number of newly purchased cruisers to patrol that corridor and apprehend the law-breaking scoundrels. After being fined one time, I knew to slow down through there. As I calculated, it added about 1.5 minutes to my commute time, but it added a significant amount of angst (incalculable, because I don’t think angst has units to describe it… maybe a millidread… anyway, I digress). Eventually, the Georgia State Patrol made Arcade change its policies. But, it wasn’t until after Arcade made enough money from its highway banditry to pay for a new city hall and police headquarters. So, now I can go 65 through there and look to my right and see a set of building I helped fund. Beep beep. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-cops-have-these-things-now/571604/151 "2012-01-22T18:59:46Z")
> [@JBDivmstr](#): > > I thought that’s what this :o was. > > Personally, I think it looks more like a yawn, or a BJ smiley. 😉 > > Whatever became of all of that? No, this :o is the “Boring. I wish that chump would quit writing about Jericho!” smiley. I’ve not heard anything other than that the Fire Chief survived and a Judge voided all the tickets. There was to be a justified witch hunt and an effort made to find out where the fines went. For those uninformed of Sordid Our Tale, a [link.](http://askville.amazon.com/caused-shooting-death-fire-chief-Jericho-Arkansas/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=58414876) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-cops-have-these-things-now/571604/152 "2012-01-22T19:20:06Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > How many “speed traps” are there anyway? I have not had a problem with them. It seems so simple, you don’t want a ticket? Don’t exceed the speed limit. True enough. The street I work on is four lanes with a limit of thirty. The cops favorite trap is at the bottom of a long hill. Having just climbed the hill, one must ride ones brakes on the way down lest one of Little Rock’s Finest step out with his radar gun and wave you down. They’re nice enough guys. They return my wave when I go by at 35 mph. Others are not so fortunate. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-cops-have-these-things-now/571604/153 "2012-01-22T23:52:07Z")
> [@JBDivmstr](#): > > Whatever became of all of that? [Apparently returned to business as usual within two months.](http://www.wmctv.com/global/story.asp?s=11423585) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-cops-have-these-things-now/571604/154 "2012-01-23T00:16:38Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > True enough. > The street I work on is four lanes with a limit of thirty. The cops favorite trap is at the bottom of a long hill. Having just climbed the hill, one must ride ones brakes on the way down lest one of Little Rock’s Finest step out with his radar gun and wave you down. They’re nice enough guys. They return my wave when I go by at 35 mph. Others are not so fortunate. 🙂 There is a difference between the police knowing where people tend to speed and enforcing there and a speed trap. A speed trap is somewhere that the speed has been set artificially low just to create a source of revenue. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-cops-have-these-things-now/571604/155 "2012-01-23T00:51:30Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > There is a difference between the police knowing where people tend to speed and enforcing there and a speed trap. A speed trap is somewhere that the speed has been set artificially low just to create a source of revenue. True. I was thinking as I drove down McCain with the signs saying they will execute you for going over 35. I described a place where people do tend to speed. Does seem it would be nicer to park a police car in plain view to make folks slow down, though. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-cops-have-these-things-now/571604/156 "2012-01-23T01:32:22Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I’d think they’d be useful for locating cars wanted for outstanding parking violations. > > But I doubt the bit in the OP about the camera not being able to be exposed to chemicals. If that’s the case, it’s a poor design. (Certainly the camera is going to get wet when it rains.) Perhaps the police officer is being overly cautious? I saw a news special on Philadelphia’s legendary parking problems. And the revenue generated from parking tickets is big business (and I think at least 2 TV shows are now on TV showing different sides of the world of parking in Philadelphia.) Anyway, the point I am making is that even with all this technology, it can’t outsmart the good old scofflaw. This kind of technology would be used in Philly to find people who haven’t paid their parking tickets… some level has to be reached, like 5 or 10 tickets before a car is put into the system and a warrant is issued for the owner. So what does the brilliant scofflaw do? Goes to the PA DMV and buys a new plate for 5 bucks. The old plate? Lost, stolen, you know how it is… there is no record of the old plate attached to the new plate, so the scofflaw starts his parking “meter” back at zero. The good news is the state is still making 5 bucks for each plate! Bad news is they can’t seem to locate the people or their cars based on the plate the parking ticket was issued against. You can’t make this stuff up. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-cops-have-these-things-now/571604/157 "2012-01-23T04:47:00Z")
> [@JBDivmstr](#): > > (bolding mine) > > IIRC, the state of Texas passed a law to help prevent that sort of abuse. Something along the lines of ‘no more than 30% of collected fines shall go into the treasury of the department writing the citations, with the remainder going to the state’. > Sorry, I don’t have a cite at the moment. I’ll try to find one and report back. Actually, the speed trap in Selma was one of the primary reasons for that law. ---
**Author:** ![Themenin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ee59a6/32.png) [@Themenin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Themenin)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-cops-have-these-things-now/571604/158 "2012-01-23T18:38:13Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > As I calculated, it added about 1.5 minutes to my commute time, but it added a significant amount of angst (incalculable, because I don’t think angst has units to describe it… maybe a millidread… anyway, I digress) That would have to be the [ångström](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angstrom) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-cops-have-these-things-now/571604.md?page=7)