unfortunately, they don't say who's who, so I'm going with the head angle I have.

Didn't Chief Wiggum retire to Louisiana?

Corruption in Louisiana...

Defiantly meets the criteria for "Not News"

johnsoninca: Didn't Chief Wiggum retire to Louisiana?

Fat Man and Skinny Boy right? Loved that Skinner was all of a sudden supposedly from New Orleans.

Why is the USDA buying cop cars?

So what defines a "speed trap"? I have only gotten one ticket in my life (and a few warnings) but I have never seen police cars hanging out in plain view. They are always behind a bush or just over a hill or backed into a drive way.
I have yet to see, "Police ahead looking for speeders!"

...and altering traffic citations.

Oh where are the "there are no speed traps; if you don't want a ticket then don't speed" farktards on this one?

Um, where in the article does it say that this was a Federal case against the sheriff? It sounds like the corruption has nothing to do with the feds, with the exception of their diverting federal money...

They need to investigate a lot more police departments on speed traps and seizures.

Cuchulane: unfortunately, they don't say who's who, so I'm going with the head angle I have.

Plus, the skin tone matches better.

FTFA:

"Even before the arrival of the new cruisers, Waterproof earned 37 percent of its budget from speeding tickets, according to a 2007 report by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor. Higginbotham and Jenkins are out on bond awaiting trial. Louisiana State Police officials say the investigation into their activities is ongoing."


Paging CruiserTwelve on this one...

BlankSlate: So what defines a "speed trap"? I have only gotten one ticket in my life (and a few warnings) but I have never seen police cars hanging out in plain view. They are always behind a bush or just over a hill or backed into a drive way.
I have yet to see, "Police ahead looking for speeders!"

A speed trap is when the cop uses an unacceptable method of calculating your speed, or where you land in a situation when it's impossible to obey the posted speed. For example, the article talks about the speed trap they set up on a stretch of highway that suddenly drops to 45 without any warning. That is a speed trap.
It's also a speed trap when they clock you going DOWN a hill, or if they use an illegal method such as timing how long you take to traverse a certain distance.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_trap

Is it just me or did they choose the quote in the article at random?

BlankSlate: So what defines a "speed trap"?

Could be the drop from highway speeds to 45mph w/o a warning sign that's visible. On one stretch of 58 in VA it went from 60 to 45 nearby would be a deputy waiting to handle out tickets to those who were from out of state. I was pulled there once....7 cars got nailed in one row. Guy collected licenses, got to me said "you live in VA?" "Yeah, 30 min away". He let me go.

castufari: BlankSlate: So what defines a "speed trap"?

Could be the drop from highway speeds to 45mph w/o a warning sign that's visible. On one stretch of 58 in VA it went from 60 to 45 nearby would be a deputy waiting to handle out tickets to those who were from out of state. I was pulled there once....7 cars got nailed in one row. Guy collected licenses, got to me said "you live in VA?" "Yeah, 30 min away". He let me go.

So basically, it's an invisible toll booth?

Police corruption in Louisiana?
That's not "Man bites dog."
That's not even "Dob bites man."
That's more like "Dog wants steak."

clancifer: Oh where are the "there are no speed traps; if you don't want a ticket then don't speed" farktards on this one?

13 seconds before you.

BlankSlate: "Police ahead looking for speeders!"

Here is Jersey we just assume this is always the case 24/7.

I wish they would start setting up "Pennsylvania drivers hanging out in the left lane on highways doing exactly the speed limit and not passing anyone" traps instead.

Police abusing their powers to unlawfully tax citizens via speed tickets? Quick act surprised!!!!


Screw speed limits!
In fact I do anyways :D!


Radar/laser detector was the greatest investment I've ever made.

Interesting, I drove through Crowley Louisiana twice this past week and I haven't seen the normal Crowley speed trap in operation. I wonder if they're holding back because of this.

Zimmy: So basically, it's an invisible toll booth?

Right, but one that farks up your insurance rates.

Thanks Castufari and MarihuanaMenace!
Now I know why the cops hang out where they do in my back water town. You come from the next town with a limit of 55mph, down an hill to a new limit of 35 mph. Tiny town with a tinier budget.
Having lived here for 4 years I know the deal but we get a lot of revenue from the Massachusetts snow mobilers and hunters here!

Where the cops hang out: http://webcams.trcmaine.org/?cam=bville1

I was driving through central Florida a few years ago and I saw a billboard a couple miles out side of a town (I forget it's name)that said that this town was NOT a speed trap. I remember my first thought was how it must certainly be a speed trap if they feel the need to advertise they they aren't one. I was proven right as I drove through town and watched the speed limit suddenly drop like 20 or 30 mph.

Higginbotham received $37,500 from the US Department of Agriculture

This is part of the problem with the government. Why is the Dept of Agriculture funding speed traps?

pecosdave: Interesting, I drove through Crowley Louisiana twice this past week and I haven't seen the normal Crowley speed trap in operation. I wonder if they're holding back because of this.

When did the Crowley speed trap begin? I lived near there for 20 years and never saw a speed trap in Crowley. I have seen them just east of Lafayette, though.

00st3bbins: Um, where in the article does it say that this was a Federal case against the sheriff? It sounds like the corruption has nothing to do with the feds, with the exception of their diverting federal money...

Um, it could be this sentence right here:

"Waterproof Police Chief Miles Jenkins faces three felony counts for receiving bonuses for meeting traffic ticket quotas and altering traffic citations."

Felony = Federal Case

/RTFA
//The more you know.

where in the article does it say that this was a Federal case against the sheriff

Federal money, state case. Submitter .

/submitter

DundieAwardWinner: Felony = Federal Case

It does?

ZAZ: where in the article does it say that this was a Federal case against the sheriff

Federal money, state case. Submitter .

/submitter

No, you got it right. See, according to DundieAwardWinner felonies are federal cases because both start with iron.

Zimmy: castufari: BlankSlate: So what defines a "speed trap"?

Could be the drop from highway speeds to 45mph w/o a warning sign that's visible. On one stretch of 58 in VA it went from 60 to 45 nearby would be a deputy waiting to handle out tickets to those who were from out of state. I was pulled there once....7 cars got nailed in one row. Guy collected licenses, got to me said "you live in VA?" "Yeah, 30 min away". He let me go.

So basically, it's an invisible toll booth?

For tourists. The locals don't get ticketed because the cops know they'll show up in court and it will be dismissed.

Zimmy: So basically, it's an invisible toll booth?

Exactly. Out of staters are almost guaranteed to get a ticket as most won't take the time to head back to go to court. I got a ticket once, 15 over. "Just mail it in". "When is the court date". He fumbled, showed it to me." "You can just mail it in" "Nah, I'll come back". I was in the area so I stopped in for my court date. DA dropped it to 9 over, which won't jack my insurance up and had me pay the fine. You know it's a racket when they have what looks like a conference room lined with tables and a dozen people "helping".

From what I understand, for most speed tickets in CT (ones that don't involve going 30 over, i.e. reckless endangerment) can be taken care of by giving a "donation" to the municipality coffers in lieu of a moving violation. Proof positive that speed enforcement is rarely about safety, it's about making the police officer into a tax collector.

tonesskin: No, you got it right. See, according to DundieAwardWinner felonies are federal cases because both start with iron.

Touche.

/Golf Clap
//I stand humbly corrected

Seriously, i think Louisiana would cease to function if the corruption were removed.

cmb53208: Seriously, i think Louisiana would cease start to function if the corruption were removed.

FTFY

DundieAwardWinner:"Waterproof Police Chief Miles Jenkins faces three felony counts for receiving bonuses for meeting traffic ticket quotas and altering traffic citations."

Felony = Federal Case

Uh, no. No it doesn't. In this case the charges were brought by the Parish, which is the Louisiana equivalent of a county. Federal crimes are prosecuted by the FEDERAL government.

/the more YOU know.
//Did RTFA.
///Dumbass tag for you and smitty
////Don't bother, I'm out

DundieAwardWinner: tonesskin: No, you got it right. See, according to DundieAwardWinner felonies are federal cases because both start with iron.

Touche.

/Golf Clap
//I stand humbly corrected

Heh.

tonesskin: pecosdave: Interesting, I drove through Crowley Louisiana twice this past week and I haven't seen the normal Crowley speed trap in operation. I wonder if they're holding back because of this.

When did the Crowley speed trap begin? I lived near there for 20 years and never saw a speed trap in Crowley. I have seen them just east of Lafayette, though.

I see a local cop in the grass just beyond one of the over passes nearly every time I go through there, (which side depends on who they're after that day, East or West bound) or just a little ways past in the bushes. I think the drilling fluids place just West of Crowley is doing a public service leaving that fake patrol car out next to the interstate all the time causing people to slow down just enough to make it through.

I rolled through Crowley about four hours ago, and I rolled through on Friday morning also. I've watched my speed better the past couple of years, but if I'm 3MPH over on most of IH-10 I'm 2 MPH under in Crowley.

lol... Louisiana small towns are notorious for this kind of thing... I have lived in several, though the last one I lived in did that kind of thing but with the DEA and state drug enforcement, using their two I-10 over passes.
The small towns in north and central Louisiana, esp on 65 are the worst, I use to have to drive home from college on it, and all of these small towns would either hide their speed limit signs or not even have them posted, esp after the hurricanes (like two years after) "our speed limit signs got blown over..."
One small town's local Barney Fife pulled over a state Legislature in a similar speed trap, and wouldn't pull the ticket when he identified himself, so the Legislature went to Baton Rouge and pushed through a law making that certain kind of speed trap illegal, retroactively, went back and ripped up the ticket in front of the officer.

Well that does it I am moving to Detroit.

pecosdave: I see a local cop in the grass just beyond one of the over passes nearly every time I go through there

Damn, that sucks. It would be a good place to hide. I haven't been that way in a while. Usually get on or off in Rayne.

/heh, get off in Rayne

Which one was it again?



/stoking the flames

Waterproof, Louisiana, huh? Should've been that way during Katrina.

/Who the fark names their town "Waterproof?"

ribbit: Police corruption in Louisiana anywhere in the country?
That's not "Man bites dog."
That's not even "Dob bites man."
That's more like "Dog wants steak."

FTFY

BlankSlate: I have yet to see, "Police ahead looking for speeders!"

There's a reason for that.

Wrong_Intentions: Waterproof, Louisiana, huh? Should've been that way during Katrina.

/Who the fark names their town "Waterproof?"

Or Intercourse. Or Bald Knob. Or Detroit.

Smacky the Frog: Paging CruiserTwelve on this one...

Man, you woke me up from a good dream.

The last time we argued this, someone claimed that speeding tickets accounted for the entire budget of some towns and then some. These guys cheated and still only accounted for 37% of the budget. Of course it sounds like they may have been putting some of their ticket revenue in their pockets too.

Some cops are assholes. I've never denied that. These guys should be cops in Mexico where this shiat is accepted.

CruiserTwelve: Smacky the Frog: Paging CruiserTwelve on this one...

Man, you woke me up from a good dream.

The last time we argued this, someone claimed that speeding tickets accounted for the entire budget of some towns and then some. These guys cheated and still only accounted for 37% of the budget. Of course it sounds like they may have been putting some of their ticket revenue in their pockets too.

Some cops are assholes. I've never denied that. These guys should be cops in Mexico where this shiat is accepted.

That 37% figure was from last year. Before the new cruisers and equipment. You just know that 2008's figures would be closer to 50% or more.

Small town cops are on par with meter maids - solely there to generate revenue.

Do Southern towns average more speedtraps than the rest of the nation?

Opportunistic?