Mpls. Police Issuing Tickets To Fill Budget Void

WCCO-TV (CBS Affiliate in Mpls-St Paul) ^ | 7/23/07 | Darcy Pohland - Staff Reporter

[MplsSteve]

Anyone driving through Minneapolis should keep their eyes on the speedometer and watch those red lights. Police are cracking down on traffic violations to help fill a gap in the city's budget.

The city says the police department is nearly $6 million over budget. And money from traffic tickets is down more than a million dollars as well.

So to help get back in the black, the number of traffic tickets handed out in Minneapolis in recent weeks has gone up more than 13 percent.

City leaders say raising money isn't the only motive. But news of increased police traffic enforcement on Minneapolis streets is getting a mixed reception

[MplsSteve]

I saw this on the news earlier tonight. On a side note, I have no idea why I was watching WDFL...I mean, WCCO-TV.

I'm not sure how I feel about this. I am a resident of Minneapolis and there are a lot of speeders and reckless drivers - and that's in the good areas of town. A lot of drivers don't signal lane changes or turns either.

OTOH, I think the police have got bigger issues to deal with in this town. If you've been in downtown Mpls or anywhere near the North Side, you know exactly what I mean.

Comments or opinions - anyone?

[MplsSteve]

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[digitalbrownshirt]

On the one hand it’s disturbing that the police consider the citizens as their emergency piggy bank, but on the other hand it should slow down the reckless drivers. As long as they’re actually targeting violators instead of inventing violations then I don’t have a problem with it. We have a couple of local areas where violation isn’t necessary to receive a ticket.

[lesser_satan]

Agree 100%. We have one of the highest murder rates in the country, and police assets could be put to better use.

[mplsconservative]

My question is: How the heck are they 6 million dollars over budget?

I’m sure the boy wonder mayor gave them a more than adequate budget to work with in the first place./extreme sarcasm

(Guess I answered my own question.)

[MplsSteve]

It’s a combination of both.

Rybak (aka Shallow RT)and the City Council chronically underfund police and fire.

I hate to bash the police department because they’re the only thing standing between this city really turning into an armpit. But there are a number of officers who seem to be chronic accumulators of overtime. These officers aren’t necessarily in high-profile positions that would require lots of OT.

[mplsconservative]

Hanging out at Melo-Glaze, eh?/just kidding

Sounds like management problems are compounding the problem. There’s good and bad in every profession. And there’s no way I’d want one of these guy’s jobs. The things they have to deal with day in/day out would make my head spin.

I agree, they have bigger fish to fry than looking out for driving violations.

[thefactor]

do you really thing the cops on the streets came up with this idea? it’s the politicians and the brass sitting in headquarters who are ordering the cops to write more. and god help you if you don’t write the amount they want you to write.

[Daffynition]

They are just taking a cue from Virginia, New Jersey, Michigan, North Carolina and Texas ... states using an essentially regressive tax to fill their coffers.

[digitalbrownshirt]

“Just following orders” doesn’t work as an excuse.

[dennisw]

At morning roll call:

OK boys! Heads up! Start writing more tickets or it’s your job!
And make sure you ticket only white people because they are the only ones who actually pay them. Unlike Jose the illegal alien and the colored fellas in their hoopties blasting 100 decibel rap music

[dgallo51]

I am not the ideal person to comment, as I do like performance cars, I do recognize the need to slow down and pay attention as conditions warrant. That said, I believe there will be unintended consequences to stricter traffic enforcement…and not all bad. Nefarious types like to motor like nobody else, and they tend to break more motor vehicle laws than your average soccer mom. While diverting patrols from high crime areas, they may in fact do more to cleaning up the streets and a thousand foot patrols. That said, I’m staying out of MPLS except for dire emergencies:-)

[VRing]

“And make sure you ticket only white people”

Unless they’re fellow cops, or nurses or any of the other classes with a get out of tickets free card.

[unixfox]

So...lemme get this straight, they need money so they start handing out more traffic tickets. But then on the other hand they say it's for "safety" reasons.

Where have we heard that crap before? Hmmm...let's see, could it be the evil smokers?

[MplsSteve]

Definitely true. Good point.

[newguy357]

I have long thought that it is a conflict of interest and strongly counter to the intentions of the founding fathers in their attempts at separation of powers for police departments to be funded in any way by fines which police officers themselves distribute. If police officers ought to be issuing fines, those fines ought to be paid to some other part of community/government so that there is no incentive for officers to increase the number of fines solely for their own benefit.

[thefactor]

well, yeah, when you’re burning humans in ovens! but if writing a few extra tickets to people who are actually breaking the law is a way to stay out of trouble, then gimme a pen. if your boss gave you a legitimate order and you disobeyed it, well let’s just say you wouldn’t really enjoy going to work. as they say, sh-t rolls downhill.

[digitalbrownshirt]

I see your point, but after 30 years of watching police unions running cover for any kind of criminal behavior by their members I find it hard to believe that they’re powerless.