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Florida town infamous for speed traps disbanding police force
Last year, Waldo, Florida's seven police officers wrote nearly 12,000 tickets. CBS News WALDO, Fla. -- The City Council of a tiny north Florida town known as one of the nation's worst speed traps has voted to disband its small police force. The Waldo City Council on Tuesday voted 4-1 to eliminate the department just weeks after the chief and interim chief resigned because of state investigations into many issues, including an illegal ticket quota. City Manage Kim Worley told the Gainesville Sun that a Florida Department of Law Enforcement audit found many expensive computer and facilities fixes were needed, a cost the small town cannot afford. The move follows a revolt by five Waldo officers, who said that they were forced to meet an illegal ticket quota and that evidence was being stored improperly by the department's interim chief. As CBS News reported last month, Waldo's seven police officers wrote nearly 12,000 speeding tickets last year, collecting more than $400,000 in fines - a third of the town's revenue. The town had six different speed limits in just a couple of miles. Drivers enter the city at 65 miles per hour. It then drops to 55, 45 and then 35. Asked if the situation "rings well" with him, Gordon Smith, the sheriff in neighboring Bradford County, said: "It doesn't because you're creating this cash cow. Where there's cash register justice." Smith was put in charge of the police department in Hampton, just nine miles down State Highway 301, after the city's police department was disbanded this year. Several town officials are suspected of stealing some of the money raised by fines. "That's legalized robbery," Smith said. "And we shouldn't be doing that." - - - I'm amazed Waldo was able to get away with its brand of highway robbery for so long. The town has been known for decades as nothing more than a speed trap. Used to drive through it a few times a year on trips to Gainesville and U of F and a couple of bass fishing lakes. There really was nothing there except a few gas stations and crappy pseudo antique shops. Got stopped once for going "too slow" down 301, but didn't get a ticket. Everyone who knew about Waldo pretty much went "too slow" until they were out of the town's jurisdiction. I remember a few of these central Florida dip**** towns...they were pretty much all terrible places. North of Waldo was Starke, where Florida used to electrocute its death row prisoners, and south of Waldo and Gainesville was Orange Lake, which was ok for bass fishing and eagle spotting, and then Ocala, a real dump of a town. |
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On Friday, 3 October 2014 07:56:13 UTC-3, F*O*A*D wrote:
Florida town infamous for speed traps disbanding police force Last year, Waldo, Florida's seven police officers wrote nearly 12,000 tickets. CBS News WALDO, Fla. -- The City Council of a tiny north Florida town known as one of the nation's worst speed traps has voted to disband its small police force. The Waldo City Council on Tuesday voted 4-1 to eliminate the department just weeks after the chief and interim chief resigned because of state investigations into many issues, including an illegal ticket quota. City Manage Kim Worley told the Gainesville Sun that a Florida Department of Law Enforcement audit found many expensive computer and facilities fixes were needed, a cost the small town cannot afford. The move follows a revolt by five Waldo officers, who said that they were forced to meet an illegal ticket quota and that evidence was being stored improperly by the department's interim chief. As CBS News reported last month, Waldo's seven police officers wrote nearly 12,000 speeding tickets last year, collecting more than $400,000 in fines - a third of the town's revenue. The town had six different speed limits in just a couple of miles. Drivers enter the city at 65 miles per hour. It then drops to 55, 45 and then 35. Asked if the situation "rings well" with him, Gordon Smith, the sheriff in neighboring Bradford County, said: "It doesn't because you're creating this cash cow. Where there's cash register justice." Smith was put in charge of the police department in Hampton, just nine miles down State Highway 301, after the city's police department was disbanded this year. Several town officials are suspected of stealing some of the money raised by fines. "That's legalized robbery," Smith said. "And we shouldn't be doing that." - - - I'm amazed Waldo was able to get away with its brand of highway robbery for so long. The town has been known for decades as nothing more than a speed trap. Used to drive through it a few times a year on trips to Gainesville and U of F and a couple of bass fishing lakes. There really was nothing there except a few gas stations and crappy pseudo antique shops. Got stopped once for going "too slow" down 301, but didn't get a ticket. Everyone who knew about Waldo pretty much went "too slow" until they were out of the town's jurisdiction. I remember a few of these central Florida dip**** towns...they were pretty much all terrible places. North of Waldo was Starke, where Florida used to electrocute its death row prisoners, and south of Waldo and Gainesville was Orange Lake, which was ok for bass fishing and eagle spotting, and then Ocala, a real dump of a town. Ah... those good ole' southern boys...never pass up an opportunity to fatten their wallets and bellies at someone elses' expense. |
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On Friday, October 3, 2014 7:26:43 AM UTC-4, True North wrote:
On Friday, 3 October 2014 07:56:13 UTC-3, F*O*A*D wrote: Florida town infamous for speed traps disbanding police force Ah... those good ole' southern boys...never pass up an opportunity to fatten their wallets and bellies at someone elses' expense. Ontario routinely makes the NMA's annual list of top speed trap locations. Last year was no exception as Ontario beat all other states and provinces for top honors. In addition, three of the top five speed trap cities were located in the province. Nuff said. This information comes from the NMA's National Speed Trap Exchange (http://www.speedtrap.org/), a unique website that gives drivers an opportunity to report on and exchange comments about predatory speed traps they have encountered on their travels. - See more at: http://blog.motorists.org/nma-speed-....lj8SfWKn.dpuf http://blog.motorists.org/nma-speed-trap-spotlight-ontario/ |
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On 10/3/2014 6:56 AM, F*O*A*D wrote:
Florida town infamous for speed traps disbanding police force Last year, Waldo, Florida's seven police officers wrote nearly 12,000 tickets. CBS News WALDO, Fla. -- The City Council of a tiny north Florida town known as one of the nation's worst speed traps has voted to disband its small police force. The Waldo City Council on Tuesday voted 4-1 to eliminate the department just weeks after the chief and interim chief resigned because of state investigations into many issues, including an illegal ticket quota. City Manage Kim Worley told the Gainesville Sun that a Florida Department of Law Enforcement audit found many expensive computer and facilities fixes were needed, a cost the small town cannot afford. The move follows a revolt by five Waldo officers, who said that they were forced to meet an illegal ticket quota and that evidence was being stored improperly by the department's interim chief. As CBS News reported last month, Waldo's seven police officers wrote nearly 12,000 speeding tickets last year, collecting more than $400,000 in fines - a third of the town's revenue. The town had six different speed limits in just a couple of miles. Drivers enter the city at 65 miles per hour. It then drops to 55, 45 and then 35. Asked if the situation "rings well" with him, Gordon Smith, the sheriff in neighboring Bradford County, said: "It doesn't because you're creating this cash cow. Where there's cash register justice." Smith was put in charge of the police department in Hampton, just nine miles down State Highway 301, after the city's police department was disbanded this year. Several town officials are suspected of stealing some of the money raised by fines. "That's legalized robbery," Smith said. "And we shouldn't be doing that." - - - I'm amazed Waldo was able to get away with its brand of highway robbery for so long. The town has been known for decades as nothing more than a speed trap. Used to drive through it a few times a year on trips to Gainesville and U of F and a couple of bass fishing lakes. There really was nothing there except a few gas stations and crappy pseudo antique shops. Got stopped once for going "too slow" down 301, but didn't get a ticket. Everyone who knew about Waldo pretty much went "too slow" until they were out of the town's jurisdiction. I remember a few of these central Florida dip**** towns...they were pretty much all terrible places. North of Waldo was Starke, where Florida used to electrocute its death row prisoners, and south of Waldo and Gainesville was Orange Lake, which was ok for bass fishing and eagle spotting, and then Ocala, a real dump of a town. It's not uncommon to have successive speed limit reductions on main thoroughfares when approaching small settlements. Are you opposed to keeping people safe? Waldo was merely taking advantage of it's situation. Thanks to the liberal media, this small town is losing it's police protection. Let's hope the citizenry has the fire power to look after its own security. Ocala has taken on the stink of Washington DC with it's Federal courthouse. |
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On Fri, 3 Oct 2014 04:26:42 -0700 (PDT), True North
wrote: On Friday, 3 October 2014 07:56:13 UTC-3, F*O*A*D wrote: Florida town infamous for speed traps disbanding police force Last year, Waldo, Florida's seven police officers wrote nearly 12,000 tickets. CBS News WALDO, Fla. -- The City Council of a tiny north Florida town known as one of the nation's worst speed traps has voted to disband its small police force. The Waldo City Council on Tuesday voted 4-1 to eliminate the department just weeks after the chief and interim chief resigned because of state investigations into many issues, including an illegal ticket quota. City Manage Kim Worley told the Gainesville Sun that a Florida Department of Law Enforcement audit found many expensive computer and facilities fixes were needed, a cost the small town cannot afford. The move follows a revolt by five Waldo officers, who said that they were forced to meet an illegal ticket quota and that evidence was being stored improperly by the department's interim chief. As CBS News reported last month, Waldo's seven police officers wrote nearly 12,000 speeding tickets last year, collecting more than $400,000 in fines - a third of the town's revenue. The town had six different speed limits in just a couple of miles. Drivers enter the city at 65 miles per hour. It then drops to 55, 45 and then 35. Asked if the situation "rings well" with him, Gordon Smith, the sheriff in neighboring Bradford County, said: "It doesn't because you're creating this cash cow. Where there's cash register justice." Smith was put in charge of the police department in Hampton, just nine miles down State Highway 301, after the city's police department was disbanded this year. Several town officials are suspected of stealing some of the money raised by fines. "That's legalized robbery," Smith said. "And we shouldn't be doing that." - - - I'm amazed Waldo was able to get away with its brand of highway robbery for so long. The town has been known for decades as nothing more than a speed trap. Used to drive through it a few times a year on trips to Gainesville and U of F and a couple of bass fishing lakes. There really was nothing there except a few gas stations and crappy pseudo antique shops. Got stopped once for going "too slow" down 301, but didn't get a ticket. Everyone who knew about Waldo pretty much went "too slow" until they were out of the town's jurisdiction. I remember a few of these central Florida dip**** towns...they were pretty much all terrible places. North of Waldo was Starke, where Florida used to electrocute its death row prisoners, and south of Waldo and Gainesville was Orange Lake, which was ok for bass fishing and eagle spotting, and then Ocala, a real dump of a town. Ah... those good ole' southern boys...never pass up an opportunity to fatten their wallets and bellies at someone elses' expense. You have some reason to impugn law enforcement in the southern states? Or do you just let one questionable situation forge your opinions - as with Harry? |
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Johnny spews....
" You have some reason to impugn law enforcement in the southern states? Or do you just let one questionable situation forge your opinions - as with Harry? " Well Johnny, I like to think that we get enough 'merican news on local cable channels (since the 70's) to have an informed opinion. Sorry if that ruffles your feathers. |
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On 10/3/14 11:07 AM, True North wrote:
Johnny spews.... " You have some reason to impugn law enforcement in the southern states? Or do you just let one questionable situation forge your opinions - as with Harry? " Well Johnny, I like to think that we get enough 'merican news on local cable channels (since the 70's) to have an informed opinion. Sorry if that ruffles your feathers. Many years ago, when I lived in the South, I got a kick out of all the reports of flying saucer/alien "swamp" landings reported in Louisiana, Florida and Mississippi. Hardly a week went by without such a report appearing in a local newspaper or on the local TV news. I'd ask myself, in a joking way, of course, why the aliens would want to land among those good old Southern boys, and not on the lawns of the University of Chicago, MIT, or CalTech, where they might interact with people who had at least completed high school, had most of their teeth, and weren't married to their sisters or first cousins. I guess the aliens prefer the FlaJims and Johnny the Racists. |
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On 10/3/2014 10:07 AM, Poco Loco wrote:
On Fri, 3 Oct 2014 04:26:42 -0700 (PDT), True North wrote: On Friday, 3 October 2014 07:56:13 UTC-3, F*O*A*D wrote: Florida town infamous for speed traps disbanding police force Last year, Waldo, Florida's seven police officers wrote nearly 12,000 tickets. CBS News WALDO, Fla. -- The City Council of a tiny north Florida town known as one of the nation's worst speed traps has voted to disband its small police force. The Waldo City Council on Tuesday voted 4-1 to eliminate the department just weeks after the chief and interim chief resigned because of state investigations into many issues, including an illegal ticket quota. City Manage Kim Worley told the Gainesville Sun that a Florida Department of Law Enforcement audit found many expensive computer and facilities fixes were needed, a cost the small town cannot afford. The move follows a revolt by five Waldo officers, who said that they were forced to meet an illegal ticket quota and that evidence was being stored improperly by the department's interim chief. As CBS News reported last month, Waldo's seven police officers wrote nearly 12,000 speeding tickets last year, collecting more than $400,000 in fines - a third of the town's revenue. The town had six different speed limits in just a couple of miles. Drivers enter the city at 65 miles per hour. It then drops to 55, 45 and then 35. Asked if the situation "rings well" with him, Gordon Smith, the sheriff in neighboring Bradford County, said: "It doesn't because you're creating this cash cow. Where there's cash register justice." Smith was put in charge of the police department in Hampton, just nine miles down State Highway 301, after the city's police department was disbanded this year. Several town officials are suspected of stealing some of the money raised by fines. "That's legalized robbery," Smith said. "And we shouldn't be doing that." - - - I'm amazed Waldo was able to get away with its brand of highway robbery for so long. The town has been known for decades as nothing more than a speed trap. Used to drive through it a few times a year on trips to Gainesville and U of F and a couple of bass fishing lakes. There really was nothing there except a few gas stations and crappy pseudo antique shops. Got stopped once for going "too slow" down 301, but didn't get a ticket. Everyone who knew about Waldo pretty much went "too slow" until they were out of the town's jurisdiction. I remember a few of these central Florida dip**** towns...they were pretty much all terrible places. North of Waldo was Starke, where Florida used to electrocute its death row prisoners, and south of Waldo and Gainesville was Orange Lake, which was ok for bass fishing and eagle spotting, and then Ocala, a real dump of a town. Ah... those good ole' southern boys...never pass up an opportunity to fatten their wallets and bellies at someone elses' expense. You have some reason to impugn law enforcement in the southern states? Or do you just let one questionable situation forge your opinions - as with Harry? He was brought up on the wild and lawless docks of Halifax NS. Nuff said? |
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On 10/3/14 2:18 PM, wrote:
On Fri, 03 Oct 2014 13:35:19 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote: On 10/3/14 12:53 PM, wrote: On Fri, 03 Oct 2014 06:56:13 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote: WALDO, Fla. -- The City Council of a tiny north Florida town known as one of the nation's worst speed traps has voted to disband its small police force. I have been through Waldo many times. It is the way to get from I-75 to I-95 without going through Orlando and Jacksonville. I understand why people got tickets, you are rolling along doing 65 in a 55, then you suddenly come into a little town, The speed drops in 10 mph increments until you get to 35 over about 2 miles. That is common with a dozen little towns on that 301 and A1A stretch. The only difference was that Waldo was aggressive in enforcing the 35MPH (writing at anything over 45) where you could cruise through the other towns at 50 or more most of the time. I never got a ticket there. I knew better. How fast can you go in down town Huntingtown? Are they aggressive in enforcing that? I know the whole state of Maryland was a speed trap when I lived there. The MSP would set up a RADAR on the beltway, have a couple dozen cops running out in the road stopping all the cars and write tickets 30-40 at a time. "Following the flow of traffic" was no defense. Everyone got a ticket. I got a ticket for 40 in a 35 in Clinton once, at midnight. That was ridiculous. Downtown Huntingtown? Surely you jest. It's a little cut-through of a road that is connected to Route 4 at both ends. Downtown consists of a fire station, a post office, a dance studio, a bank, a little strip mall with a 7-11, a not yet finished medical office building and a small grocery store. I'd guess the posted limit is 25 or 30 mph, but whatever it is is clearly posted at both ends. I bet it is 30, that is the normal Maryland convention. If you are doing 40, I bet they tag you. Waldo's speed limit was clearly posted too. Perhaps it confuses people when they drop it in 10 MPH increments over a mile or two but that is standard practice in Florida. It is not like going straight from 55 to 30 with little warning. I guess we are just trying to ne nicer to strangers who do not know what is around the next bend. Cut the crap. Waldo has had a national reputation as a "speed trap" for decades. The AAA has released many news stories about it. The "trap" was there, as the article explains, to raise $$$ for the dip**** little town. -- “My heart goes out to the people of Ebola.” Sarah Palin |
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F*O*A*D wrote:
On 10/3/14 2:18 PM, wrote: On Fri, 03 Oct 2014 13:35:19 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote: On 10/3/14 12:53 PM, wrote: On Fri, 03 Oct 2014 06:56:13 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote: WALDO, Fla. -- The City Council of a tiny north Florida town known as one of the nation's worst speed traps has voted to disband its small police force. I have been through Waldo many times. It is the way to get from I-75 to I-95 without going through Orlando and Jacksonville. I understand why people got tickets, you are rolling along doing 65 in a 55, then you suddenly come into a little town, The speed drops in 10 mph increments until you get to 35 over about 2 miles. That is common with a dozen little towns on that 301 and A1A stretch. The only difference was that Waldo was aggressive in enforcing the 35MPH (writing at anything over 45) where you could cruise through the other towns at 50 or more most of the time. I never got a ticket there. I knew better. How fast can you go in down town Huntingtown? Are they aggressive in enforcing that? I know the whole state of Maryland was a speed trap when I lived there. The MSP would set up a RADAR on the beltway, have a couple dozen cops running out in the road stopping all the cars and write tickets 30-40 at a time. "Following the flow of traffic" was no defense. Everyone got a ticket. I got a ticket for 40 in a 35 in Clinton once, at midnight. That was ridiculous. Downtown Huntingtown? Surely you jest. It's a little cut-through of a road that is connected to Route 4 at both ends. Downtown consists of a fire station, a post office, a dance studio, a bank, a little strip mall with a 7-11, a not yet finished medical office building and a small grocery store. I'd guess the posted limit is 25 or 30 mph, but whatever it is is clearly posted at both ends. I bet it is 30, that is the normal Maryland convention. If you are doing 40, I bet they tag you. Waldo's speed limit was clearly posted too. Perhaps it confuses people when they drop it in 10 MPH increments over a mile or two but that is standard practice in Florida. It is not like going straight from 55 to 30 with little warning. I guess we are just trying to ne nicer to strangers who do not know what is around the next bend. Cut the crap. Waldo has had a national reputation as a "speed trap" for decades. The AAA has released many news stories about it. The "trap" was there, as the article explains, to raise $$$ for the dip**** little town. Same as Arizona in the 1960's. |
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StinkyJim Sez...
" He was brought up on the wild and lawless docks of Halifax NS. Nuff said? " Yup...no country for girliemen. I'd advise you and your fellow pansies from Connecticut and Southern Ontario to stay well away. |
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On Friday, October 3, 2014 2:21:26 PM UTC-4, Califbill wrote:
Depends on what the law actually is. In California, unless the sign says "maximum" the speed limit is Prima faci and is really what is safe, reasonable and proper and less than 65 mph. Midnight and 5 over is no unsafe, 99,9999% of the time. Does California still not allow RADAR to be used on the interstates? Nearly 20 years ago, when I was out there doing some work for CHP, that seemed to be the case. I went for a ride-along with a CHP officer one afternoon. He used RADAR on a secondary road to clock and pull over a girl in a car and a male truck driver. But out on the I-5 he paced a car and pulled it. Turned out to be a girlfriend of his wife's. The truck driver got a ticket. Both the girls got verbal warnings. Heh. |
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On Friday, October 3, 2014 3:26:08 PM UTC-4, True North wrote:
StinkyJim Sez... " He was brought up on the wild and lawless docks of Halifax NS. Nuff said? " Yup...no country for girliemen. I'd advise you and your fellow pansies from Connecticut and Southern Ontario to stay well away. Really? I'm waiting to see you **** your pants just before I beat your head in, "big man". |
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On 10/3/2014 3:26 PM, True North wrote:
StinkyJim Sez... " He was brought up on the wild and lawless docks of Halifax NS. Nuff said?" Yup...no country for girliemen. I'd advise you and your fellow pansies from Connecticut and Southern Ontario to stay well away. You're proud of that? |
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On 10/3/2014 5:03 PM, Harrold wrote:
On 10/3/2014 3:26 PM, True North wrote: StinkyJim Sez... " He was brought up on the wild and lawless docks of Halifax NS. Nuff said?" Yup...no country for girliemen. I'd advise you and your fellow pansies from Connecticut and Southern Ontario to stay well away. You're proud of that? Have to start calling him "Doxie" after the little Dachshund we had when I was young. She used to live in a little boot closet near the front door, hiding in her cave she would bark and growl at anybody who came through the door... but of course she would never really come out to bite :) |
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On Fri, 03 Oct 2014 09:00:52 -0400, Harrold wrote:
Thanks to the liberal media, this small town is losing it's police protection. === That's a bit of a stretch. The Waldo cops did nothing but write traffic tickets. As I understand it the town actually annexed a stretch of Rt 301 just to get access to the drive through motorists. |
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wrote:
On Fri, 03 Oct 2014 13:52:42 -0500, Califbill wrote: Same as Arizona in the 1960's. The only ticket I ever got in Arizona was a 70 in a 55 and it was $5 no points AAA listed it as a speed trap for the reason they had a 50-55 speed limit in the middle of the desert. 90 miles of nothing before Flagstaff, 55 mph speed limit. I got a 15 over ticket, because I slowed for the city limits of Flagstaff about 5 miles from any habitation. He had chased me for 8 miles he said and could not get a clocking. He had had to tuen around and try to catchup. Tag me and another car he waved over for the 15 over. Was $1 a mile. Lady asked me how fast was I going after the cop left. She said she was at 85 when I passed her. 105 mph. Deserved a ticket probably, but also did not deserve a 55 daytime, 50 night time limit either in a divided limited access highway. |
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wrote:
On Friday, October 3, 2014 2:21:26 PM UTC-4, Califbill wrote: Depends on what the law actually is. In California, unless the sign says "maximum" the speed limit is Prima faci and is really what is safe, reasonable and proper and less than 65 mph. Midnight and 5 over is no unsafe, 99,9999% of the time. Does California still not allow RADAR to be used on the interstates? Nearly 20 years ago, when I was out there doing some work for CHP, that seemed to be the case. I went for a ride-along with a CHP officer one afternoon. He used RADAR on a secondary road to clock and pull over a girl in a car and a male truck driver. But out on the I-5 he paced a car and pulled it. Turned out to be a girlfriend of his wife's. The truck driver got a ticket. Both the girls got verbal warnings. Heh. They use it on the interstates now. They were never prevented from using radar anywhere. They were prevented from purchasing RADAR for the CHP. But was ok if some other entity bought it and gave it to CHP to use. |
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