Parkin Speedtrap

From: WMC TV 5 Memphis

http://wmctv.com/global/story.asp?s=6096666&ClientType=Printable

Parkin, Arkansas Council Member says cops writing too many tickets

Feb 21, 2007 05:32 AM CST

Shammel Brown will never forget her stop by a Parkin, Arkansas police officer a couple of weeks ago. "He said do you know why I stopped you and I said no. He asked me did I know how fast I was going. I said no, how fast was I going," she recounted.

Brown said the officer never told her, but he gave her a ticket that only said City Ordinance 269.

We've learned that it's for something called inattentive driving.

It appears that just about any driving violation falls under inattentive driving and the reason a city would want to write tickets like that is because all the money from the fines goes to the city. It doesn't have to be shared with the county or the state.

"It's scary and you don't know what's going on and you hear about other people its' happened to," said Brown.

Apparently it's happening a lot. Tickets are reportedly being written in great numbers in Parkin and on nearby Highway 64.

"I have calls everyday just about it," said Parkin City Council Member Betty Lee, who says the police department is writing what could be an illegal amount of tickets and she is investigating.

"The police are here to serve and protect they are not to be money makers," she said.

We followed Shammel Brown to the Parkin City Hall. She told the Mayor about her complaint. He said he'd take care of it.

He said in the last three months, the more than $18,000 worth of tickets have been dismissed.

When Action News 5's Janice Broach confronted the mayor he said he would take a closer look.

He couldn't tell us how much money the traffic tickets brought in to city coffers, but Council Member Betty Lee told us the Mayor announced at a meeting recently that the figure is $100,000 in the last three months.

The fine for an inattentive driver ticket is $140. Parkin's Mayor denies the city is writing tickets to beef up the city's coffers.

There is an Arkansas speed trap law that prohibits writing excessive tickets to generate revenue.

And another......

Motorists in Parkin, AR say the tiny town is a speed trap

Feb 16, 2007 05:44 PM CST

Motorists who drive through Parkin, Arkansas might feel like they have gone through a speed trap.

If you look the town up on the Internet, you'll find it listed as just that. But, there's another problem people who have been ticketed might not know about.

The tiny town of Parkin, Arkansas lies on Highway 64. It's a spot where Parkin police have been working hard.

Buddy Early, a private investigator who worked in law enforcement in Cross County for 15 years, thought something wasn't right when he got a ticket and started investigating.

"He said he got me on radar," says Early. "I determined this officer and another officer are not certified to run radar. He was not certified at the time he issued my citation. He wasn't certified and he issued many citations."

Parkin's Police Chief took over three months ago.

Chief Vaughn says that after our story aired on Thursday, he suspended the two officers who weren't certified on radar guns.

Our story didn't mention anything about radar guns on Thursday.

We reported on the large number of tickets being written by Parkin police for inattentive driving.

It is not clear what prompted the Chief to suspend the officers, who will be allowed back on the force if they get certified.

Vaughn says he knew they weren't certified when he became Chief. He also didn't see any problem with the high number of dismissed tickets.

"The Mayor said there were $18 thousand worth of tickets dismissed in the past three months. I said we try to be fair. If he or I check something and find something that shouldn't be, we dismiss it," says Chief Vaughn.

The Chief and Mayor felt dismissing tickets is a good solution.

They say there is nothing illegal or wrong about writing the tickets. The Chief says he has nothing to hide.

The Police Chief also denied that Parkin is a speed trap.

He also said he does not plan to make any changes. One Parkin City Council member is investigating the possibility of a speed tran that and the uncertified officers.

We'll let you know how this all ends.


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...and my "experience"

I was traveling west on US 64 Tuesday evening at approximately 6:40 pm. As I approached Parkin after crossing the Crittenden/Cross county line I met a Parkin officer traveling east - outside the city limits. I had my cruise control set on 55 mph. As soon the officer was even with my vehicle he initiated a 3-point turn to get in behind me. I slowed to 50 mph using the coast button on my cruise control - still in a 55 mph zone. As soon as he was behind me he immediately called in my tag, I have a police scanner in my car - I carry one with me at all times. I then slowed to 45 mph as soon as we got in front of Voyle's equipment - still a 55 mph zone. When I passed Messina St. I slowed to 40 mph - still in the 55 mph zone and 1/8 mile from the beginning of the 45 mph zone. I drove at that speed until I got on the St. Francis River bridge. As soon as I pass the 55 mph speed limit sign I sped back up to 55 mph - that is when the officer turns his blue lights on - outside the city limits.

I stopped just west of the bridge - outside the city limits. The officer gets out and approaches my car. As soon as he walks up to my window, and before he says anything to me I ask him very sternly as to why he had stopped me. I told him that I had not been speeding and had dropped my speed as soon as I saw him initiate his 3-point turn. He denied that he clocked me with his radar and made it a point to tell me that all the officers are now certified to run radar.

I told him that if he did clock me that his radar needs to be re-calibrated. It is my opinion that their radar "shoots high" giving a falsely high speed. The officer didn't seem to appreciate the fact that I had a scanner in my car and could hear that he'd run my tag as quickly as he did. He called me in to dispatch as soon as he was in behind me - less than 1/4 mile from his changing of direction.

He said the light for my license plate was out and that was the "PC" probable cause for the stop. I then questioned as to how he knew my tag light was out even before he had passed me - the officer stammering and no answer. I then went on to tell him that I'd heard that Channel 5 had been out and "busted y'all" (that's how I put it) for all the bogus tickets. He admitted that they can't write the tickets for inattentive driving anymore because of that.

He said that they aren't allow to give the option of a speeding ticket "that would go on your record" or an inattentive driving ticket that wouldn't. That seems like a bait and switch move on their part since I am sure that Arkansas would get a portion of any fines written on a state or US highway and by writing a ticket for a city ordinance the city would get 100% of the fine. From what I understand, if you got to court with a speeding ticket and plead "nolo contendere" and ask to go to the driving school the judge may allow the fine to be dropped and you just pay a fee for the school - my wife did that once for a speeding ticket.

As it turns out he did not write me a ticket and let me go.

I drive through Parkin 5 to 6 days a week to come to work in Memphis, it is no secret where they are going to be, they sit in a few different spots along US 64. From all the traffic stops I hear them make they seem to get alot of out of state and out of town vehicles.

I have been listening to police scanners for the past few years in and around NE Arkansas. Parkin, in my opinion makes more traffic stops per capita than Wynne & West Memphis, a cities 4 times the size of Parkin. The officer that stopped me went on to make at least 6 more stops between 7 pm and 9:30 pm. From what I understand Parkin PD had 7 or 8 officers - for a city of 1,900. Parkin had been using the Cross County Sheriff's Department dispatcher to dispatch all their calls up until last week or so. They ran an ad in a few local papers looking for a police dispatcher and for the past week I have heard a dispatcher on Parkin's frequency. The speed trap has always been worked, but not as forcefully as in the past few months since the new chief has taken over.

Interesting....makes me not want to go anywhere near there....

..

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2006/12/17/news/121706lrspeedtrap.txt

Here's an article about amending the current law.

And, bubbaearle, you should have gotten that defective equipment ticket for your license plate light being out, if your attitude was like you say it was...

JJ

k5rpd said:

And, bubbaearle, you should have gotten that defective equipment ticket for your license plate light being out, if your attitude was like you say it was...

JJ

Click to expand...

My attitude was as I said it was.....

He had no reason to turn around and follow me - I was not speeding and he could not have seen my tag light as he was coming towards me @ 55 mph.

When I slowed down when he got behind me I feel he "took it personal". He also took issue with my scanner - which is not illegal. He also didn't like it when I sped back up to 55...in a 55 mph zone.

He could have written me a ticket for no seat belt if he wanted to.....but they are after bigger money than that.

I was an informed motorist and the officer probably felt that I would have shown up in court to argue against his illegal stop......but who's to say the judge - which may be "on the take" as I feel the mayor and police chief in Parkin are - would have sided with me?

If ya don't stand up for yourself these small town cops will walk all over you.

I don't go out looking for trouble or taunting the cops - but if stopped I will not cower down as if I were guilty. I would have admitted if I was speeding. I've gotten speeding tickets before and most cops will work with you if you are easy going about the stop - but I was not speeding, told him that he had no PC to turn around and follow me.

I have respect for the law......just not some lawmen.

k5rpd said:

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2006/12/17/news/121706lrspeedtrap.txt

Here's an article about amending the current law.

And, bubbaearle, you should have gotten that defective equipment ticket for your license plate light being out, if your attitude was like you say it was...

JJ

Click to expand...

Actually, no he should have gotten a warning. ANYBODY who just happens to have a measely license plate light out should be given the benefit of the doubt and a warning. I'm sure if you checked just about any car on the road thoroughly enough, you could find some sort of defective piece of equipment on it. That doesn't mean one should be instantly cited and charged out the wazoo for it. That's just typical cop idealogy. And since the cop was claiming the reason he was even checking up on the driver was because the driver had a license plate out, when he couldn't have seen that while driving towards the guy, the guy definitely didn't deserve a fine.

Attitude is a poor excuse - the cop had no legimate reason to be targetting him other than the fact that he was looking to fill the coffers. The guy called him on it. That's not attitude. That's standing up for your rights. It's taking somebody off of that pedestal they think they are on when they have no right to be there in the first place

It sounds to me that the Mayor, Chief of Police, and any scam artists that may be on the payroll ought to be at the very least let go.

Mike

On that note, if any of you ever come visit the "Best Corner" up here, make sure to be really good through Greenland. It's a notorious speedtrap, old boy sits on the on-ramp and it's curved just right. Nails people all day long for silly stuff like no signal on lane changes and 3 MPH over.

$100,000 over 3 months works out to be about 8 tickets a day at $140. That doesdn't seem to be too excessive over a 24 hour period.

bubbaearle said:

From: WMC TV 5 Memphis

He said in the last three months, the more than $18,000 worth of tickets have been dismissed.

When Action News 5's Janice Broach confronted the mayor he said he would take a closer look.

He couldn't tell us how much money the traffic tickets brought in to city coffers, but Council Member Betty Lee told us the Mayor announced at a meeting recently that the figure is $100,000 in the last three months.

The fine for an inattentive driver ticket is $140. Parkin's Mayor denies the city is writing tickets to beef up the city's coffers.

There is an Arkansas speed trap law that prohibits writing excessive tickets to generate revenue.

Click to expand...

Population is something like 1700 - how many cops they need (on duty) at a time in a city with a population of 1700? I'll answer that. Probably 1. If they have a police force that allows 3-4 cops on duty a time for a city with that population, they probably need to lay some people off rather than try and support them by having them write a ton of tickets to fund a police department.

That would be like Stratton Oh (pop 250) writing enough tickets per day to pay for having 3-4 cops on duty. Eitehr they have few cops and are writing tickets out the wazzoo as a revenue generator or they have too many cops for their population.

That's just my take.

Mike

..

mtindor said:

Population is something like 1700 - how many cops they need (on duty) at a time in a city with a population of 1700? I'll answer that. Probably 1. If they have a police force that allows 3-4 cops on duty a time for a city with that population, they probably need to lay some people off rather than try and support them by having them write a ton of tickets to fund a police department.

That would be like Stratton Oh (pop 250) writing enough tickets per day to pay for having 3-4 cops on duty. Eitehr they have few cops and are writing tickets out the wazzoo as a revenue generator or they have too many cops for their population.

That's just my take.

Mike

Click to expand...

Obviously you have not worked as a police officer in a small town and needed a backup officer or two to help out at a disturbance call...

JJ

k5rpd said:

Obviously you have not worked as a police officer in a small town and needed a backup officer or two to help out at a disturbance call...

JJ

Click to expand...

Correct, I haven't. A police officer in need of backup would certainly say it is worth another 35-50K a year to have another officer on duty for the very few times one might need backup. But from a cost perspective, is the municipality getting their money's worth? I know that in E. Ohio we have many townships and villages that have but one or two officers - and when they need assist, they get mutual aid assist from the the SO deputies or officers in surrounding vicinities. I hear it happen all the time.

mike

One officer for approximately 1,000 people in Parkin doesn't sound that bad. That's pretty much a good average. I think the town of Normal (IL) has about 70 officers for a town of 60,000 (counting patrol, investigations, administration) for about the same ratio.

No, I am not a cop, but, I have this opinion: While I do understand that some police departments *MAY* be without scruples and will pull over people for bogus things...shouldn't people be pulled over if they are breaking the law? If there are fifteen people a day speeding and the officers can catch them, then there should be fifteen warnings or tickets issued.

k5rpd said:

Obviously you have not worked as a police officer in a small town and needed a backup officer or two to help out at a disturbance call...

JJ

Click to expand...

I have. In a town of 1700, I would never expect to see two officers on as
a routine thing. We got backup from the SO, or HIPO.

3-4? You have GOT to be kidding.

Update on this....

This original post was from 2007...

As of 2018 Parkin usually has two patrol cars working in the afternoons. One usually sits just west of the county line - inside the city limits, the other sits at the AR Care clinic - half-way between the county line & the bridge (west city limit sign).

The place is still a joke....town falling apart, fire department equipment shabby & in disrepair. Brand new shiny police cars with a ton of LEDs so ya can see them stop ya for inattentive driving tickets.

This is another reason why I am a believer in WAZE & radar detectors.

bubbaearle said:

This original post was from 2007...

As of 2018 Parkin usually has two patrol cars working in the afternoons. One usually sits just west of the county line - inside the city limits, the other sits at the AR Care clinic - half-way between the county line & the bridge (west city limit sign).

The place is still a joke....town falling apart, fire department equipment shabby & in disrepair. Brand new shiny police cars with a ton of LEDs so ya can see them stop ya for inattentive driving tickets.

Click to expand...

That's the truth... I have driven through Parkin and Earle numerous times, and I almost never fail to see a local town cop checking for speeders. The towns themselves are in sad shape. Parkin has an interesting archaeological park just outside of town, though, if you're into that thing.

The local police in Parkin probably do not like mobile scanner users... maybe they should spend some of that inattentive driving ticket money on digital radios, then slap on the encryption, eh K5RPD?

Wow, guess we are fortunate to live in Georgia, with very few exceptions, officers using speed detection devices (except state patrol) may not stop you unless you are travelling at "more than 10 miles per hour over the posted speed limit" and all patrol vehicles used for for making traffic stops must be marked with minimum 6" letters with "Police" "Sheriff" "State Patrol" etc, and if the patrol car using the speed detection device is stationary (except state patrol) the patrol vehicle shall be visible at least 500 feet from approaching motorists, and the roadways they use the "speed detection devices" on must be certified for use by the Ga. department of public safety.

This all stems from the famous "Ludowici Georgia" speed and traffic light traps many years ago.

RRR said:

Wow, guess we are fortunate to live in Georgia, with very few exceptions, officers using speed detection devices (except state patrol) may not stop you unless you are travelling at "more than 10 miles per hour over the posted speed limit" and all patrol vehicles used for for making traffic stops must be marked with minimum 6" letters with "Police" "Sheriff" "State Patrol" etc, and if the patrol car using the speed detection device is stationary (except state patrol) the patrol vehicle shall be visible at least 500 feet from approaching motorists, and the roadways they use the "speed detection devices" on must be certified for use by the Ga. department of public safety.

This all stems from the famous "Ludowici Georgia" speed and traffic light traps many years ago.

Click to expand...

Actually, Ludowici was one of many. That's the one the news media concentrated on. There are other regulations, too. A list of the thoroughfares where speed detection devices are used must be filed with the Department of Public Safety. Devices can't be used on any section of road with more than a 7% grade or within 500' of a speed change. Radar devices must be tested both before and after an officer's shift and a log has to be kept of that. The officer doesn't have to show the offender the speed but he does have to offer to test the radar device for the offender. The amount of revenue gleaned by a city from the use of the devices is limited (but I can't remember the percentage).

For some agencies, those letters on the side of the patrol vehicle are often only a few shades lighter or darker than the vehicle itself. The regulations don't specify now much contrast to ensure readability.

I'm sure there are others but those are the ones in effect when I was working,

A side note on Ludowici, the only stop light in town could be controlled by officers in a nearby barber shop.