Thirty-Day Speeding Ticket Frenzy By Police in Various Cities-Fiction!
Summary of eRumor:
The eRumor warns motorists that that state or local law enforcement is going to be cracking down heavily on speeders during a 30-day period. It claims there will be a “speeding ticket frenzy” to add dollars to state coffers.
The Truth:
There have been several versions of this eRumor.
Pennsylvania
State Police were said to be conducting a “speeding ticket frenzy” to pay the costs of hiring new troopers and to pay trooper benefits. Not true according to State Police Commissioner Jeffrey B. Miller.
New Jersey
Orange County, California
The eRumor claimed that there was going to be a ticket-writing frenzy beginning January 25, 2006. Part-time officers were said to be called in on full-time duty. TruthOrFiction.com has found no substantiation for this story and the California Highway Patrol has officially termed it a hoax. The CHP said that there are no plans to target motorists in Orange County for speeding and that several facts in the eRumor are wrong. First, the CHP says that funds generated from speeding tickets do not benefit either the CHP or the state of California and that all fines are levied by the local courts. Also, the CHP does not have “part time” officers. All sworn officers are full-time. Additionally, the CHP says it prohibits quotas in writing tickets. It should be added that nothing of this nature could have been done by the legislature without passing legislation for it, which would have brought howls of protest.
Last updated 1/24/06