Take Our Roads Back Campaign (Alabama)

[redtetrahedron]

To: AOC Staff Subject: Take Our Roads Back Campaign

Dear Staff:

During the Judges Conference last week, a representative of the Department of Public Safety spoke concerning an upcoming event I thought you would be interested in learning about. During the week of August 13-18, 2007, the Alabama Department of Public Safety will have every supervisor and eligible staff person in uniform and on the roads. This will add approximately 150 more troopers to the highways during this week.

It is my understanding that they will be maintaining a “zero tolerance” rule on speeding and other violations, meaning that if you are 1 mile over the speed limit, you will be ticketed. They will also be looking for other traffic violations, such as not wearing seat belts and reckless driving.

The purpose of this campaign is to emphasize public safety on the roads and hopefully save lives. While I hope you will always drive safely, please be aware of the special emphasis on road safety during this week.

[redtetrahedron]

Someone forwarded me this email, saying it is from the head of the Ala. Court system warning about a "zero tolerance" speeding ticket week starting 8/13/07. Anyone know if this is for real?

[Graymatter]

What’ll they do if they find someone without a DL?

[redtetrahedron]

I assume they will be dealt with accordingly (unless of course it is an illegal alien...then they’ll be let go...)

[TomServo]

Yeah it’s for real.

The “Take back our revenue” campaign.

[Condor51]

'Zero Tolerence', sure. That'll last one day.

When they log 500 arrests of illegals in the first six hours it'll be called off due to charges of racism from the (cough) 'immigrant rights groups'.

[wrench]

How about just put a sign in your back window:

“Do not bother stopping this car, driver has no license, insurance, or legal reason to be in this country, a traffic stop will be a waste of your time.

Go arrest an American Citizen, they will pay the speeding ticket, not me.”

[L98Fiero]

“When they log 500 arrests of illegals...”

This is Alabama. I agree it’ll last one day because of claims of racial profiling.

[jwparkerjr]

Why is every attempt to enforce traffic laws decried as a revenue measure? A two hour trip on the interstate will reveal just how many drivers simply ignore not only speed limits but all sorts of other laws too. Do those who condemn campaigns to enforce traffic laws as money-making schemes feel it would be better to simply ignore the law-breakers rather than enforce the laws by fines?

[Great Day]

I agree, I think that this is more than just about breaking the law. I think that this is about revenue. This is an scheme to ge money. I was informed that their were at least 6000 tickets given on Monday alone. My guess is that the minimum of the tickets were 100.00 a pop which means that they brought in a minimum of $600,000 in one single day.

What is your thought.......

[jwparkerjr]

I don’t really see it as completely an income thing, although that certainly has a bearing on it. We have simply got to enforce traffic laws and the one way society has always done that is by affecting the violator’s pocketbook. I have a son who is a deputy sheriff here in Florida. He is a helicopter pilot for the SO, but he also works traffic. I suggested to him that when he stops someone for speeding that he give them a choice. They are speeding because they are in a hurry. Tell them they can get a ticket, and everything that goes along with that, or they can sit there for an hour and think about the importance of obeying the traffic laws! The ‘cooling off’ period would be more of an inconvenience at that point than the ticket.

I know there are jurisdictions that use traffic enforcement as little more than a profit center. A single officer can write an awful lot of tickets in an eight hour shift. But there are also agencies that write tickets not for the revenue but to enforce the law.

Traffic laws are one of those things that if you don’t keep someone out there enforcing them drivers soon feel they ignore them with impunity. Sooner or later that attitude on the part of too many drivers and you have serious problems.