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The infamous town of Washington on I-49 rejects the speed trap label
Posted on 4/26/14 at 12:58 am
Posted on 4/26/14 at 12:58 am
LINK
quote:
WASHINGTON — While legislative critics call it the worst speed trap in Louisiana, Washington Police Chief Ronelle Broussard makes no apologies.
“State law is state law,” Broussard said Friday. “If you are speeding, you are speeding.”
He added later, “It is not about tickets. It is not about money. It is about public safety.”
Broussard made his comments three days after a House committee approved two bills aimed at cracking down on Washington’s status as one of the state’s top ticket-writing spots.
Tickets and forfeitures accounted for 84 percent of the town’s revenues for a one-year period that ended in mid-2013, according to a state report.
The $1.3 million collected during that time was far and away tops in the state.
State Rep. Alan Seabaugh, R-Shreveport, sponsor of the bills and a regular traveler through the area, will try to convince the full House to endorse the Washington crackdown, possibly next week.
quote:
One of the proposals, House Bill 565, would require towns with home rule charters, which includes Washington, to turn over revenue from speeding tickets of less than 10 mph to the Louisiana Highway Safety Fund, rather than retaining it for town operations.
The other measure is House Bill 1233, which would ban municipalities from issuing speeding tickets if their boundaries include less than half a linear mile, roughly 880 yards, of the interstate travel lane.
Broussard figures that about 300 yards of I-49 are in the town’s boundaries.
That means, if the bill becomes law, local officers would no longer be able to issue revenue-generating citations there.
If both bills become law, he said, that would virtually end the town’s police force, which includes seven full-time officers, two part-time and one reserve.
Even the dispatcher would be let go.
“It is going to shut me down,” said Broussard, who is in his fourth year as police chief.
quote:
One of the most hotly debated topics in the fracas is just how strictly speed limits are enforced.
Seabaugh said tickets are routinely issued to motorists from his area and elsewhere traveling one, two or three miles over the speed limit.
“That’s a flat-out lie,” Broussard snapped. “Sir, we have never written a citation on the interstate for one, two, three, four miles over the speed limit in the 10 years that we started working the interstate.”
36
Posted on 4/26/14 at 1:00 am to SPEEDY
Oddly enough I haven't seen them out there the last two times I passed through on I-49.
I'd like to see their stats before and after it went to 75.
I'd like to see their stats before and after it went to 75.
Posted on 4/26/14 at 1:01 am to SPEEDY
Monday when I passed through they had a cop about 5 feet from their sign 
Posted on 4/26/14 at 1:02 am to SPEEDY
Shut 'em down 
Posted on 4/26/14 at 1:04 am to SPEEDY
quote:
Broussard figures that about 300 yards of I-49 are in the town’s boundaries.
I had no idea. This is absurd.
Posted on 4/26/14 at 1:04 am to SPEEDY
quote:
“That’s a flat-out lie,” Broussard snapped. “Sir, we have never written a citation on the interstate for one, two, three, four miles over the speed limit in the 10 years that we started working the interstate.”
I need to print this out and save it in the glove box for the next time I'm going 79 through Washington.
Maybe they never did when the speed limit was 70. But now that it's 75 there's no doubt they write them for 79. Probably even 78.
Posted on 4/26/14 at 1:04 am to SPEEDY
quote:
“It is not about tickets. It is not about money. It is about public safety.”
Posted on 4/26/14 at 1:08 am to SPEEDY
They sit on the overpass at LA 103 clocking northbound and in the median at the base of the overpass clocking southbound. I think the LA 103 overpass is the only part of the interstate in their jurisdiction
Posted on 4/26/14 at 1:20 am to supatigah
It is. There's no town there. There's just a sign, an overpass, and a cop raking in money. I can testify to the fact that they'll write one for 5 miles over. $170 for "endangering" citizens on a road that didn't pass through their town until they moved the city limits out to it.
Posted on 4/26/14 at 1:24 am to SPEEDY
quote:
“It is not about tickets. It is not about money. It is about public safety.”
quote:
Tickets and forfeitures accounted for 84 percent of the town’s revenues for a one-year period that ended in mid-2013, according to a state report.
Well, I mean, it's at least a LITTLE about money, right?
Posted on 4/26/14 at 1:40 am to SPEEDY
quote:
“That’s a flat-out lie,” Broussard snapped. “Sir, we have never written a citation on the interstate for one, two, three, four miles over the speed limit in the 10 years that we started working the interstate.”
geez, what an idiot to say that.
if he just sticks with the law is the law line he really can't be faulted for the tickets.
there is no way in hell they didn't write a ticket for 4 miles or less over the limit in 10 years of time and when he denies that it makes it seem like he is full of shite when he pushes safety as a justification.
Posted on 4/26/14 at 1:49 am to SPEEDY
quote:
“That’s a flat-out lie,” Broussard snapped. “Sir, we have never written a citation on the interstate for one, two, three, four miles over the speed limit in the 10 years that we started working the interstate.”
Aren't these tickets kept in record?
Seems like the internet could make at least one pop up in short order.
Posted on 4/26/14 at 2:07 am to brmach
quote:
on a road that didn't pass through their town until they moved the city limits out to it.
It's pretty clear why those lines were drawn where they are.
Posted on 4/26/14 at 2:12 am to SPEEDY
quote:
If both bills become law, he said, that would virtually end the town’s police force, which includes seven full-time officers, two part-time and one reserve.
Even the dispatcher would be let go.
“It is going to shut me down,” said Broussard
You have over 10 officers in a town with a population of, what, 1100? That is FOUR TIMES the national average for officers per population. You need to be shut down.
Posted on 4/26/14 at 2:14 am to Korkstand
I find it humorous that he claims that it isn't about the money, but if the money stops from tickets, he would be shut down.
This post was edited on 4/26/14 at 2:15 am
Posted on 4/26/14 at 2:21 am to Korkstand
quote:
You have over 10 officers in a town with a population of, what, 1100? That is FOUR TIMES the national average for officers per population. You need to be shut down.
It's a joke towns that small have police depts. There are way too many towns in this state that are way too small to have a dept and should leave policing up to the Sheriff's Office and State Troopers assigned to the parish.
For example, Sorrento here in the AP has less than 1500 people and they have a dept. That is a complete joke as its way too small to justify it and they still did it anyway. It's no wonder they're having trouble finding an insurer for their dept. They're about to disband it and turn it over to the Sheriff's Office and that's what should've happened in the first place. You should have have a minimum of 8000 to 10000 residents to justify a dept of your own.
Small towns steal from people driving through. It isn't about safety because the sudden changes in speed can be dangerous. It isn't about doing the right thing because they don't care about that. It is about stealing money from strangers, because that's what small towns have decided they want to do instead of paying for the police department they can't afford to honestly maintain. You can't afford a PD if you have to stop speeders to pay for the service.
Yep. It's despicable fiscal nonsense from a state that's supposed to be filled with fiscal conservatives. Either you can afford a PD or you can't and have to let the Sheriff's Office and State Police Troopers handle law enforcement business.
Posted on 4/26/14 at 2:27 am to Volvagia
quote:
I find it humorous that he claims that it isn't about the money, but if the money stops from tickets, he would be shut down.
Yeah, what a fricking idiot. If 300 yards of interstate is the only reason your town has a dept. at all, much less a dozen fricking officers, it is entirely about the money. "Public safety" my arse.
Posted on 4/26/14 at 2:41 am to Volvagia
quote:
I find it humorous that he claims that it isn't about the money, but if the money stops from tickets, he would be shut down.
It really says a lot about his intelligence or rather lack thereof. A contradiction like that can piss people off and turn people against you. I hope he never shuts up.
Posted on 4/26/14 at 2:44 am to SPEEDY
Just out of curiosity, how is the town a "speed trap" if the speed limit does not change on the interstate through the town? An example of a real speed trap is Sun, Louisiana. Hwy 21 through the town the speed drops from 65 down to 45 in the span of 100 yards and they have a city/parish/state cop sitting there most of the days fricking over the people who miss the signs. The 45 mph zone lasts for about 2 miles then pumps back up to 65. That's a real speed trap.
Posted on 4/26/14 at 2:58 am to SPEEDY
They'll invariably single out and pull over the out of state car in a line of vehicles all traveling the same rate of speed. I've watched them do it many times as I travelled through there.
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