Florida's speed-trap city agrees to reform, won't be killed off

LA Times ^ | March 29, 2014 | Paresh Dave

[kingattax]

A tiny northern Florida city that received national notoriety for issuing thousands of speeding tickets on its funky stretch of highway will be spared from death.

State lawmakers Friday dropped their threat to dissolve Hampton, a 1-square-mile city located an hour's drive south of Jacksonville.

Auditors in February reported that the small cadre of officials in the city of about 500 residents mismanaged the city's bank accounts, credit cards and collections. The city had just three full-time employees: a clerk, a police chief and a water manager.

Most egregiously, city officials discovered an intriguing revenue stream shortly after annexing a quarter-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 301 about 20 years ago.

The square-shaped city turned into a comical fly-swatter, sticking out to reach a business near the highway that wanted to be protected by city police. Realizing it could capitalize on drivers making the trek in and out of Jacksonville, the city slowly grew a volunteer police force and caught motorists in its new speed trap.

During the last handful of years, that revenue stream ballooned to more than $200,000 annually, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

[NTHockey]

Ah, yes, Lawty F’N Da. Passed through there on weekend pass from Beaufort.

[TLI]

Texas Top 40.

The infamous Westlake trap is probably still number 1.

Rank	City	2008 population	Traffic tickets	% of all tickets that are traffic tickets	Total ticket revenue	Total ticket revenue per citizen	Total tickets per citizen
1	Westlake	211	71664	81%	$8,919,460	$42,272	340
2	Estelline	155	24269	88%	$2,873,199	$18,537	157
3	Domino	50	2656	99%	$262,660	$5,253	53
4	Montgomery	596	25523	66%	$3,116,988	$5,230	43
5	Martindale	1148	44422	98%	$5,496,670	$4,788	39
6	Cuney	147	4598	100%	$678,847	$4,618	31
7	Palmer	2258	81653	93%	$10,144,689	$4,493	36
8	Rio Vista	818	31508	95%	$3,239,383	$3,960	39
9	Riesel	1013	25021	92%	$3,911,628	$3,861	25
10	Patton Village	1483	52752	98%	$5,570,563	$3,756	36
11	Mount Enterprise	543	16379	99%	$2,023,814	$3,727	30
12	Pantego	2381	41830	53%	$8,763,955	$3,681	18
13	Wilmer	3576	88731	90%	$12,610,497	$3,526	25
14	Dalworthington	2412	60167	66%	$8,320,636	$3,450	25
15	Lott	675	11454	85%	$2,139,228	$3,169	17
16	Lavon	423	8255	85%	$1,319,644	$3,120	20
17	Chillicothe	687	14420	94%	$2,127,266	$3,096	21
18	Waskom	2137	48647	98%	$6,604,962	$3,091	23
19	Shenandoah	2002	67581	97%	$6,004,139	$2,999	34
20	Mustang Ridge	933	25329	90%	$2,786,746	$2,987	27
21	Ferris	2566	46764	89%	$7,591,029	$2,958	18
22	Covington	302	4192	62%	$886,511	$2,935	14
23	Arcola	1230	32449	97%	$3,589,616	$2,918	26
24	Northlake	2036	40651	93%	$5,763,918	$2,831	20
25	Rice	980	18346	64%	$2,708,749	$2,764	19
26	Zavalla	665	15499	96%	$1,816,084	$2,731	23
27	Magnolia	1249	35035	86%	$3,391,091	$2,715	28
28	Alvarado	4188	83348	79%	$11,134,344	$2,659	20
29	Brownsboro	837	17763	91%	$2,203,938	$2,633	21
30	Driscoll	802	10353	71%	$2,092,793	$2,609	13
31	Rhome	1051	21390	82%	$2,731,994	$2,599	20
32	Kemah	2498	45532	83%	$6,421,907	$2,571	18
33	Corrigan	1872	28235	83%	$4,548,346	$2,430	15
34	Coffee City	207	4566	80%	$499,477	$2,413	22
35	Itasca	1696	31532	85%	$4,040,627	$2,382	19
36	Eustace	925	14406	77%	$2,172,573	$2,349	16
37	Rogers	1138	18659	91%	$2,653,569	$2,332	16
38	Southside Place	1667	34778	80%	$3,782,674	$2,269	21
39	Calvert	1358	27655	97%	$3,070,273	$2,261	20
40	Selma	4632	86332	87%	$10,352,606	$2,235	19

. td/td

[Darksheare]

Ping to NoCmp since they can describe it better than I can.
They use actual road names.
I use landmarks that stick out in my mind since I’m terrible with road names.
“After the curve by the deli where the creek marking the township line crosses the road...”

[jsanders2001]

If I were a sitting judge I would have thrown out every single ticket that LEO wrote that was under 5 miles over the spped limit, maybe 10...

If you were a sitting judge, the funding out of which your salary comes from, would largely come from fine revenue, and if you cut down on fine revenue then you would be replaced real fast.

Doing what is right and just is more important than funding a city on the backs of targeted victims in a system that is set up to exploit them.

[NoCmpromiz]

Rt. 23 in northern NJ... Well you do have those active radar enforcement locations of Riverdale, Butler, and Kinelon but you would think that once youcleared those areas and headed into the North Jersey 'wilderness' you would be 'safe'...

There is a stretch of that road that winds back and forth between Morris County and Passaic County. The county line follows the Pequannock River with the north side of the river being Passaic county and south being Morris County.

For this 'travelogue' we will start traveling South on Rt. 23 in Sussex County. Route 23 goes from two lane to four lane just before the Co. Rt. 515 intersection about a mile before the Sussex county border with Morris County. At that location, route 23 is south of the Pequannock River and goes from Sussex County into Morris County - Jefferson Township to be exact. Approximately a half mile after entering Morris County, Rt. 23 crosses over the river (or more correctly the river meanders under Rt. 23) and the road is now in Passaic County - West Milford Twp. Another mile south just past Canistear Road, the river again meanders under Rt. 23 (road is now in Morris Co.) then loops back and again crosses under the road another 1/4 mile or so later (road now in Passaic County) just before Oak Ridge Reservoir. Thus there are two stretches of Rt. 23, each 1/4 to 1/2 mile or less in length where Jefferson Twp. (Morris) manages to set up their radar to snatch speeders on their way to work in the morning or returning in the evening. Invariably of course if they do flag someone speeding they will be making the apprehension in a county that is not their jurisdiction - the ol' hot pursuit thingie.. ;-)

West Milford Twp on the other hand typically won't set up on their portion of this area until around bar closing time...

[Usagi_yo]

Yes, I drive that area all the time when I’m up in NJ. My brother lives in Jefferson Township, about 6 miles up the road from Rockaway mall and Picattiny Arsenal. Got 23 on the east end, and 15 on the west end. I see police giving tickets all the time when I go to my friends house in Wanaque. I’ll be house sitting there May-June. I’ll keep the speed down.

[LevinFan]

My favorite was in indian territory on US41 going to the keys. My brother was driving, I was enjoying the scenery. 45 for a long time, then “woohoo!” 55. Good thing I was watching the woods. 200ft down the road, behind a small tree, 45 again.

Maybe I’m old fashioned, but give me the good old days when they wore masks and game me a small adventure by pointing guns at me when coming along side my buggy while riding a horse.

Years ago, my dad said he’d disown me if I became a cop. Now I know why. This, and all the other crap. A good cop is one who stays bought.

[NoCmpromiz]

Berkshire Valley Road?

Rt. 15 from Dover/Wharton/ARDEC (Picatinny Arsenal) to the Sussex Co. line by Sparta is all Jeff Twp. and Berkshire Valley Rd. up to Milton (I think that 's what it's called) is too. North of there it becomes Oak Ridge Road in Passaic Co. (the little creek that is really the Pequannock River after the dam for the reservoir is the county line..

If you travel Rt. 15 don't be the lead car, let some other schnook flush the bushes for you! (Especially if you don't have Joisey plates ;-)

If you go off the Rt. 23 end of Berk Valley/Oak Ridge Rd. and head south on 23 be aware that the southbound lanes of 23 there in Newfoundland are in Jeff Twp. from the bridge just past Dunkin Doughnuts to about the Shell station just past Green Pond Road. As mentioned, Jeff Twp tends to be more aggressive than West Milford (which is why they take advantage of those quarter mile long spots a little further up rt. 23... ;-)

Further south on 23 has its other vultures in Butler, Kinnelon, Riverdale, and Pequannock Twp.

If your brother doesn't give you info next time you're up there give me a shout/FReepmail. (I'm just across the state line in NY.)

[Usagi_yo]

Yes. I kept wanting to call it oak ridge valley road but I knew that wasn’t it.

[Usagi_yo]

Oh yea, ironic but my friend constantly skates on DUI’s on 23 heading towards Wanaque. He say’s he pays a ‘yearly club membership’ and thus they let him go if not too drunk, but call my brother when he is too drunk.

[NoCmpromiz]

oak ridge valley road

Exactly. Can't go wrong, you got both ends ;-)