Sit Down, Waldo: City Council Disbands Police Over Speed Trap Rep
The city council of Waldo, Fla. — population 1,000 — sternly told its police department to take a seat in the shame bus, disbanding the force after its chief and interim chief both resigned amid an investigation into the town’s reputation as a speed trap.
Associated Press reports the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office will take up where the Waldo Police Department failed, while AAA will consider taking down billboards warning motorists of the speed trap awaiting them.
The path to disbanding began in August, when Chief Mike Szabo was suspended during a probe into allegations of ticket quotas. The same allegations would later take down interim chief Corporal Kenneth Smith a couple of weeks later, with both resigning soon after.
The police force was a cash machine for the city budget, providing half of the $1 million spent annually in Waldo; last year alone, 12,000 tickets between seven officers produced $400,000 in revenue.
Though the country sheriff will oversee law enforcement in the near-term, residents believe speeders and criminals will have carte blanche over Waldo. That said, the residents have recently asked the state government to post a single speed limit for their city; currently, there are six within the two square miles Waldo occupies.
Seattle-based writer, blogger, and photographer for many a publication. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.
More by Cameron Aubernon
Comments
Join the conversation
I'm always happy and surprised when things like this happen. Here in northern Ohio we had a small town called Linnadale that had a half mile or so of highway that generated most of their revenue. The state cracked down on them recently. What needs to happen is for the money the police collect from us ( traffic tickets, civil asset forfeitures) go to a place that doesn't benefit the police, or the city they work for or live in. The incentive for police to collect money needs to be removed, so the motive for traffic stops becomes safety, not profit.
Around here, we have our own massive speed trap...a HUGE down-hill with a 25 mph speed limit...that comes right after a 55 mph speed limit. About the only rational guess to why this setup even exists is to keep big rigs from barreling into the tight streets of the town below, but still...it's a real brake-burner.
Don't worry, they'll be welcomed in Summersville West Virginia.
About 7 years ago, I got a ticket in Lawtey just as they had acquired their new laser gun. The ticket was for 1 mph over the limit. It was probably of no consequence that I was driving my brand new Porsche Cayman S? As for the rest of the south, in Georgia, local cops are supposed to be barred from writing a ticket using radar/laser unless you are going 11 mph over the limit (excluding active school zones). This was done after one of GA's governors (Lester Maddox?) shut down the infamous Ludowici speed trap, also on Rt 301.