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.

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.

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/

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?

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.

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.

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?

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.

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".

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?