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Law Enforcement Practices Citation Discretion In Tough Economy

Photo Illustration by Jasmina Meyer/Highlands Today

The most expensive speeding violation that can be issued in Highlands County is 9 for driving 20-29 miles over the limit in a construction or school zone.

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By BRAD DICKERSON

Highlands Today

Published: January 22, 2009

SEBRING - When Dorothy Kennedy got her last traffic citation, a man named Eisenhower was in the White House and a man named Elvis was burning up the airwaves.

Now, the Oval Office is occupied by a man named Obama and three brothers named Jonas are pop royalty.

Today, if Kennedy, a Sebring resident, were to receive a speeding ticket in Highlands County, the minimal cost for traveling six to nine miles over the posted speed limit would be $104. Fifty years ago, when Kennedy said she got her last citation, she paid a fine somewhere between $25 and $30.

Kennedy skirted another traffic ticket for about a half century by watching her speed. It's not just safer, it's also cheaper, Kennedy said.

The extra expense should also give motorists pause before hitting the accelerator, especially in light of a tough economic climate.

In Highlands County, a traffic citation for going 10 to 14 mph over the speed limit is $179, according to information from the Highlands County Sheriff's Office. If a motorist is between 20 to 29 mph over, a ticket is $229.

The fines only increase if a person is caught speeding in a work or school zone. The minimum amount for a ticket in which the speed is one to five mph over is $129. If a motorist is clocked going between 20 to 29 mph in such a zone, the cost is $379.

Kennedy's fine from 50 years ago would not even cover the cost of a non-moving violation in 2009, which is $89 in Highlands County. A moving violation is $139.

A Worsening Situation

Traffic fines are not getting cheaper any time soon.

On Jan. 14, the Florida Legislature passed a $2.8 billion budget deficit-elimination package. Lawmakers agreed to increase all traffic tickets by $10, while those for speeding will increase an additional $25 for 15 to 29 mph over the limit.

Violators will also no longer get an 18 percent discount on fines for taking a driver improvement course.

The plan next moves to Gov. Charlie Crist for his signature, although he is considering some line-item vetoes.

Lisa Miller, with Darling's Defensive Driving School Inc., in Sebring, said Wednesday she had not heard about legislators voting to do away with the 18 percent discount.

"Certain (citations), they don't get a discount," Miller said, adding that those include parking in a handicapped zone or failing to stop at a traffic signal or stop sign.

The cost to take a course at Darling's is $35, she said.

'Compassion'

The expensive traffic citations and struggling economy are not lost on Highlands County law enforcement officials, who are taking those factors into account when it comes to writing tickets.

"Traffic citations are so expensive that they do take that into consideration," said Sebring Police Cmdr. Steve Carr.

At Tuesday's county commission meeting, Highlands County Sheriff Susan Benton said traffic citations for the quarter between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, 2008 were about 1,000 less than the previous quarter.

The exact number of citations issued was 1,022, according to statistics from the sheriff's quarterly report.

The SPD gave 41 parking tickets, 10 warnings and 446 other citations during the same period, according to department information.

"There will be a lot of discretion on the part of our deputies in writing traffic tickets," Benton told commissioners.

Capt. Paul Blackman, with the sheriff's office's patrol division, said he tries to instill that notion in his deputies, but does not want to tell them who they should ticket and who they should not.

"There's some people out there who are suffering, (but) there are some folks who are going to get a ticket," Blackman said.

Lake Placid Police Chief Phil Williams said his department has also seen a drop in the number of tickets written. The tactic was not an intentional one, but rather the result of a weakened economy that appears to have left no one unaffected.

"The economy has hit the police department and we simply have less officers to get out and work traffic," Williams said.

Highlands Today reporter Jim Konkoly and the Associated Press contributed to this report. Highlands Today reporter Brad Dickerson can be reached at 863-386-5838 or bdickerson@highlandstoday.com

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