Speeding Tickets Can No Longer Be Issued In This Town…

Never trust the government. It seems that whatever powers they have eventually get abused – even when it comes to small things like speeding tickets.

We’re learning that the Georgia Department of Public Safety has stripped thecity of Lenox of its ability to issue tickets over revelations that revenue was deliberately hidden after the town illegally altered the citations.

The corruption never ends…

At a glance:

  • The Georgia Department of Public Safety (DPS) has suspended the city of Lenox’s ability to issue speeding tickets for 180 days.
  • An investigation revealed Lenox altered speeding citations to conceal revenue, violating a state law limiting police departments from generating more than 35% of their revenue from speeding fines.
  • The city collected nearly 40% of its revenue from speeding citations in 2023, surpassing the legal limit.

The Georgia Department of Public Safety (DPS) has suspended the city of Lenox’s ability to issue speeding tickets for 180 days after an investigation revealed illegal alterations to citations in an effort to circumvent state law. According to a report from Atlanta News First, Lenox’s police department altered speeding tickets issued by officers, reclassifying them as “unsafe driving” violations. This tactic was intended to bypass a Georgia law prohibiting police departments from generating more than 35% of their revenue from speeding fines.

Georgia DPS Commissioner Col. William Hitchens, in a letter obtained by the outlet, stated that Lenox “consistently” made these alterations, which effectively concealed the extent of the revenue generated from speeding tickets. Lenox’s police department exceeded the 35% limit in 2023, collecting almost 40% of its revenue from speeding citations. According to an audit conducted by state investigators, the city generated an extra $36,771 that year by not reporting the excess funds, bringing its total revenue from speeding fines to $514,456, up from $477,685.

The investigation into Lenox’s practices began in January after a Florida driver complained about his altered ticket. The city’s police chief, Shane Daughtrey, referred to the citation alterations as “just an honest mistake” during a DPS hearing. However, state investigators argued that the changes appeared intentional and had been taking place for several years, though the city only exceeded the revenue limit in 2023.

A Georgia DPS investigator highlighted that 85% of the police department’s revenue came from fines and forfeitures, signaling a heavy reliance on traffic enforcement, particularly on the interstate. “That tells me there’s not a whole lot of enforcement going on other than the interstate,” the investigator remarked.

For Georgia residents like Charlie Johnson, who had been ticketed by Lenox police earlier in the year, the situation feels like an abuse of power. “I feel very abused, taken advantage of,” Johnson told Atlanta News First.

Lenox’s suspension from issuing speeding tickets underscores broader concerns about the potential misuse of traffic enforcement as a revenue-generating tool, prompting the need for greater accountability and oversight of local police departments.

This problem has been going on for a long time. Look at this tweet from 2012 – 12 years ago!

https://x.com/Vision4ThePeopl/status/240912282039762944

When most of a city or town’s budget comes from speeding tickets, you better watch out when driving…

Your license and reputation doesn’t matter when it comes to the government making money from you.