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Florida's speed-trap city agrees to reform, won't be killed off
LA Times ^ | March 29, 2014 | Paresh Dave

Posted on 03/30/2014 3:29:39 AM PDT by 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.

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: donutwatch
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To: Afterguard

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


61 posted on 03/30/2014 9:07:11 AM PDT by NTHockey (Rules of engagement #1: Take no prisoners. And to the NSA trolls, FU)
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To: kingattax
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

62 posted on 03/30/2014 10:46:08 AM PDT by TLI ( ITINERIS IMPENDEO VALHALLA)
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To: Usagi_yo; NoCmpromiz

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...”


63 posted on 03/30/2014 11:14:10 AM PDT by Darksheare (Try my coffee, first one's free..... Even robots will kill for it!)
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To: PapaBear3625

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.


64 posted on 03/30/2014 12:05:49 PM PDT by jsanders2001
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To: Darksheare; Usagi_yo
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...

65 posted on 03/30/2014 12:22:08 PM PDT by NoCmpromiz (John 14:6 is a non-pluralistic comment.)
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To: NoCmpromiz

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.


66 posted on 03/30/2014 1:17:29 PM PDT by Usagi_yo (Islamunism = Facism + Islam : Islamunist = someone that adheres to Islamunism.)
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To: mazda77

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.


67 posted on 03/30/2014 2:41:25 PM PDT by LevinFan
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To: Usagi_yo
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.)

68 posted on 03/30/2014 2:58:03 PM PDT by NoCmpromiz (John 14:6 is a non-pluralistic comment.)
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To: NoCmpromiz

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


69 posted on 03/30/2014 5:07:03 PM PDT by Usagi_yo (Islamunism = Facism + Islam : Islamunist = someone that adheres to Islamunism.)
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To: NoCmpromiz

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.


70 posted on 03/30/2014 5:11:57 PM PDT by Usagi_yo (Islamunism = Facism + Islam : Islamunist = someone that adheres to Islamunism.)
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To: Usagi_yo
oak ridge valley road

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

71 posted on 03/30/2014 5:55:48 PM PDT by NoCmpromiz (John 14:6 is a non-pluralistic comment.)
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