[wimpycat]

They need to spend more time stopping real crime and less time as a profit center.

Speeding is a violation of traffic law. Law enforcement officers enforce the law. It's their job, and it's dangerous. Running from the police during a routine traffic stop is a "real crime".

[Basil Duke]

I was ticketed for going two miles over the speed limit last year. 37 in a 35. My insurance increased by forty dollars per month because of this heinous breach of the law (my first ticket in 10 years). The city that issued the ticket received 75 dollars from my checking account. This same city derives roughly 40 percent of its annual operating revenue from speeding tickets. I think, in most cases, speeding is a "crime" in name only - and a right nifty way to line the municipal coffers.

[Bikers4Bush]

Spare me. Real crimes are being committed all over the place while cops are pulling over speeders to generate revenue.

It may be a traffic violation, but hardly on par with crimes like burglary, rape and murder.

[JavaTheHutt]

Speeding is a violation of traffic law. Law enforcement officers enforce the law. It's their job, and it's dangerous. Running from the police during a routine traffic stop is a "real crime".

Yes, and in Little Rock, Arkansas, some police officers brought a lawsuit against the city a couple of years ago because of that. They claimed the city was so dependent on revenue generated by traffic tickets, that officers who failed to meet their quota were given negative performance reviews and passed over for promotions. I believe the city made an out of court settlement.

If the money paid in traffic fines didn't go to the city, there would be a whole lot less motivation for setting up speed traps, and police officers would have more time available to combat violent crime.