Latest news with #speedtrap
Yahoo
29-07-2025
- Yahoo
Village responds to ‘speed trap' accusations from Columbus
BRICE, Ohio (WCMH) — The Village of Brice responded to accusations from Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin that the village is acting as a 'speed trap' and putting a strain on the court system. Hardin criticized the village on social media this month over its use of automated traffic cameras to enforce the speed limit. His criticism comes six months after he was ticketed there for speeding. Hardin was ticketed for driving 30 mph in a 20 mph school zone, according to the traffic citation, and was ordered to pay a $236 fine — $111 of that went to court costs, with the village collecting the remaining $125. Groveport Madison school board members sued after appearing at committee meeting Hardin said the village of 93 people is operating as 'little more than a speed trap,' accusing the police department of using its automated cameras like slot machines to collect revenue for the municipality. 'Despite the Village of Brice's modest size, over 7,500 vehicles per day travel through the Brice Road school zone,' the village said in a statement. 'Speeding through our school zone is a voluntary activity, and the citizens of Brice expect their public safety representatives to mitigate and deter the speeding activity.' The village said that the speed limit signs are highly visible, and there are signs that the school zone is photo-enforced. Brice also said its speeding fines are 'relatively modest' compared to other school zone fines in Ohio, but said the Franklin County Municipal Court's fee is almost five times higher than other courts. The village suspended its use of the automated cameras in mid-2021 but resumed the program last fall. Since then, Hardin said the village has taken in nearly half a million dollars in speeding fines, something he said is putting a disproportionate burden on the Franklin County Municipal Court. Lori Tyack, the Franklin County Municipal Court Clerk, agreed with Hardin. Tyack said 4,680 citations have been filed with the clerk's office since the start of 2025, which has 'caused a drain on office resources by requiring deputy clerks to focus on the processing of these citations instead of their assigned tasks.' Additional funding has been requested for staff 'specifically designated to process the Village of Brice citations,' Tyack said. 'The Village would argue that the safety of our children should not be described as 'a loophole' as previously reported, and we would invite everyone driving through our community to do so with care and consideration,' the village said. A 2022 news release from the Ohio Auditor of State said Brice did not have 'adequate controls to ensure traffic citations issued and fines ultimately collected from automated speed enforcement cameras were in proper order.' The release said the village would include increased reporting requirements in its third-party contracts with the administrators. As of Thursday morning, the village had not responded to an NBC4 email with follow-up questions on whether the increased reporting requirements were implemented when the program resumed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
28-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Constable Resigns Over 'Money Grab' Speed Camera Program That Issued 4000 Tickets in 2 Weeks
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Citizens often complain that speed traps are little more than a cash grab from the government. Often, it's unclear just how true that is, but in West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, we now have evidence of it. In fact, the man behind a speed enforcement plot admitted it was intended just to raise evidence for his organization in his own resignation letter. That man is now-former Ward 2 constable Ron Tetzel. In October of 2024, he began running a budget speed camera enforcement zone near a local school, according to WBRZ ABC 2 news. In this case, Tetzel had people with a radar gun-based camera system hide out and photograph alleged speeders as they drove by the school. In just two weeks, he issued over 4000 citations to drivers, each one valued at $150. That's roughly $600,000 in revenue, which was meant to have been split between the constable's office, the speed camera company, and the school district. There was a problem, though: the constable's office had no authority to issue the citations, as the constable had not established a cooperative endeavor agreement with the school board as required by law, according to WBRZ. By late November, the local police department was putting out Facebook statements telling citizens not to pay the tickets. Louisiana state senator, Caleb Kleinpeter then responded to that post saying, "I just got off of the phone with Attorney General Murrill who has told me to inform all DO NOT PAY this civil violation. If you did we are working to see how you can be reimbursed." Within just a couple of days, the senator had gone as far as to call the ticketing method illegal. "I am a huge supporter of law enforcement, but this is nothing but a money grab," he said to WBRZ. More surprising: Tetzel admitted that himself when resigning. In a letter dated March 12, 2025 but only recently uncovered, Tetzel wrote, "In an effort to evolve this office and position from a half-baked "Mayberry" operation into a functioning service entity that actually serves the community, the Ward 2 Justice of the Peace and I engaged with multiple entities... to conduct traffic photo enforcement in an unincorporated school zone within the parish." He complained that as a constable, his monthly stipend was just $380 and that he had to use his personal vehicle, weapon, and protective equipment, and said wanted the money to fund a full-time office, to procure items for the job, and to fund other projects. "I never expected or intended to get rich doing this service, but I equally did not expect to have to dedicate so many personal resources to my own safety or ability to do this job," Tetzel said. In addition, in his resignation letter, Tetzel claimed that the state attorney general's office knew about the plan and approved it, and called Kleinpeter and AG Liz Murrill "self-important, unaccountable, soundbite-obsessed officials." At least now none of them have to work together. You Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car
