Heh, whoopsie. The city council of Waldo, Florida just dissolved the police force after the police chief and interim chief resigned over allegations of ticket quotas being used as a revenue tool. How bad was this, you ask? AAA actually paid for billboard space warning traveling motorists about the speed traps, and it’s estimated that the tickets brought in almost half of the city’s income. In 2013 seven officers issued 12,000 tickets that brought in about $400,000 in revenue. Broken down, that’s almost thirty-three tickets a day, with the average fine coming in at an irritating $33.33 per citation.
In August, allegations of ticket quotas being issued by Police Chief Mike Szabo began to surface, with officers claiming that Szabo had a 12-ticket per 12 hour shift quota, and that if the quota was not met, that there “would be repercussions”. Szabo resigned as police chief on September 7th, according to News4Jax.com. Shortly afterwards, Interim Chief (Corporal) Kenneth Smith resigned, claiming a need to be closer to his family. Both men are under investigation for involvement with the ticket quotas, as well as misappropriation of equipment and mishandling of evidence by Smith.
The town of Waldo has had a long-standing reputation of being a speed trap, but plans are being put into place to move past that. The Alachua County Sherriff’s Department will oversee police duties for Waldo while the investigation continues, and the residents of Waldo have requested that the state of Florida set one speed limit for the town, instead of the current staggered speed limit sections used at the beginning and end of town limits along Highway 301.
Chaulk one up for the people! And a big “thanks” to AAA too!
Emporia, Va was also notorious until the upped the limit on I 95 to 70 mph.
It still is. First thing that came to my mind while reading this story was emporia.
If they dissolved every police department here in Georgia for quotas and speed traps there wouldn’t be a cop left in the whole state. Specially along I-75.
And the GHP is as bad as local police departments, too.
We had a cop here who was running radar while there was an accident just a mile or so up the street. Not only was he not making himself useful, I have to wonder how he expected to catch any speeders when the wreck had slowed traffic to a crawl.
Best to stay out of those small southern towns anyway. But what the heck. I’ve only gotten two speed related tickets in twenty years. Obeying traffic laws is still free. Especially as overcrowded as today’s interstates have become.
As far as small southern towns go I’d disagree. For over a year I was a delivery driver in Eastern NC and logged well over 100k miles in mostly small and smaller ENC towns. Saw few cops all things considered, and not a single one gave me any mind. In thinking back, I rarely if ever saw someone pulled over out in sticks and small towns. Chatted with an officer once or twice, he seemed pretty laid back and down to earth. I really didn’t have any complaints. I think its mostly small towns that have busy through-ways that have problems.
This is where John Force got caught a few Gainesville’s ago.
They did the same thing in Maricopa California. The police had a racket with the tow company. They were impounding cars with broken tail lights, deeming them “unsuitable and unsafe for use on public roadways”. They even had a sting to where they had a couple kids step off the curb just as a car approached, and then ticketed them if they didn’t stop. We finally ran the police out of town, had the sheriff’s office take over, and haven’t had any problems since.
Where is waldo?
I show myself out….
Waldo wasn’t the only town with the speed traps. I was ticketed in Lawtey, also on highway 301, just north of Waldo. I was a student in Gainesville at the time, and very familiar with these speed trap towns since I had to travel in that direction to get out to I95.
I got a ticket for going 56 in a 45, even though I drove 5 mph under the speed limit all the way through town. I know I wasn’t speeding; I had a P71 with the certified speedometer at the time.
I didn’t go to court, figuring that I wouldn’t have a chance. A few months later I read that the traffic court judge would throw out every single case that came before him. It was too late for me, but I still wrote a letter to the judge, and told him of my experience.
Very familiar, with Waldo, drove thru there many a times, and every time, I save the police , lucky never got stopped, but did get stopped further north on 301, in Baldwin for going 6 over, sometimes it’s better to stay on the Interstate.
Traveled back and fourth through Waldo in 18 wheeler for 20 + years never got a ticket all you had to do was not speed. Plenty of signs warning you.The Sheriffs Department has become a Giant in Florida taken over police duties of little towns.Lots more will change in Waldo do to this.Sheriffs Department will sniff out lots more corruption if it’s there.
I have been a licensed driver in Florida since 1957 and have driven Hwy 301 between Baldwin and Ocala hundreds of times. I have always been aware of the ‘speed traps’ in Lawtey and Waldo but have rarely seen a law enforcement officer in either town. I have always adhered to posted speed limits and have never been stopped anywhere along 301. If you speed you should be cited. As someone said, “It is free to drive within the speed limit.”
Sounds like the “Marshall” in Reardan WA. Limit drops from 60 to 30. He is often seen sitting a hundred feet inside the 30 zone. 31 in a 30 is very common…
The sheriff’s departments out here in az are feared for their corruption
Where? Aside from our muni cops(PHX Scottsdale, Mesa) DPS and MCSO are pretty mellow about tickets. I’m in the auto industry out here and we don’t fear them. We also aren’t criminals