Island cops

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by Saltheart

Unfortunately that kind of crap makes even the usually law abiding people pissed. It gives the cops ordered to raise revenue a bad name as ball busters.

This is exactly my point. Just as sales people are sometimes pushed to sell products they don't stand behind, I believe many cops are being pushed to "enforce the law more strictly" - Read: Bring us some more money. Although as in all walks of life, some are just pricks for the sake of it - we've got a couple in town that have been that way since I moved here 12 years ago.

[Swimmer]

I can't honestly say I know of any departments who have ordered thier officers to write tickets, but it doesn't take a dummy to know if they replenish the towns coffers that money just might be funneled back to the department for saleries.

Thier is only one town in Massachusetts where the money comes directly back to the police dpeartment legally, and that is my department. Any other town that specifically detours money from checks recieved from the state or courts that is related to fines to a police agency is laundering money. It is not legal in any way. My town had a pending layoff in the early 80's, and our state rep at the time intrduced legislation that made earmarking fine money directly to an account that pays saleries and expenses completely legal. Not once did it ever get used for saleries, but we have had cruisers in excellant condition ever since.

When I read stories like Salthearts, being stopped right where speed signs go from 45 to 25 I get pissed, because thats not what enforcing the rules is about. If the posted speed before and after the 25 zone is 45 then it must a road in good shape, fairly uninhabited, rural probably, and under most circumstances you wouldn't get stopped on the road unless you were going 55 or better. High crash-rate intersections, roads where the speed limits is higher, and/or the offending drivers go even fatser, where if a crash were to occur it would be serious if not fatal, are areas that officers should be concentrating on. I am sure you can write just as many citations on those roads, just not as quickly as on a road like Saltheart described.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by Swimmer

When I read stories like Salthearts, being stopped right where speed signs go from 45 to 25 I get pissed, because thats not what enforcing the rules is about. If the posted speed before and after the 25 zone is 45 then it must a road in good shape, fairly uninhabited, rural probably, and under most circumstances you wouldn't get stopped on the road unless you were going 55 or better. High crash-rate intersections, roads where the speed limits is higher, and/or the offending drivers go even fatser, where if a crash were to occur it would be serious if not fatal, are areas that officers should be concentrating on. I am sure you can write just as many citations on those roads, just not as quickly as on a road like Saltheart described.

And you are exactly the type of officer whom I have the utmost respect for, appreciate that you are on the job and am grateful there are at least some officers like you protecting our streets.

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by Swimmer

When I read stories like Salthearts, being stopped right where speed signs go from 45 to 25 I get pissed, because thats not what enforcing the rules is about. If the posted speed before and after the 25 zone is 45 then it must a road in good shape, fairly uninhabited, rural probably, and under most circumstances you wouldn't get stopped on the road unless you were going 55 or better. .

I can take you to two places in Bourne where it goes from 35 to 25, and where there's a radar car more often than not. Both are on curves, but there are no cross streets entering blindly, and the curves themselves are easily and safely negotiable at 35 mph. And who are they stopping at 5:30 AM, except local residents on their way to work.

But they'll piss and moan when there's an expenditure question for new cruisers on the town meeting warrant, and the same people who get ticketed show up to say, basically, "sorry, but I gave at the office".