Traffic citations continue to decline

Last year, county law enforcement officers gave out 10,119 citations. The year before, it was 10,635.

If you do the math, it shows a difference of 516 tickets, which include both moving and nonmoving traffic violations, and citations for game and fish infractions.

That may not seem much of a drop, but consider the 2009 and 2008 numbers. In 2008, authorities issued 15,666 tickets. In 2009, the number was 13,890.

From 2008 to 2011, there was a 35 percent decline in the total number of citations issued — for speeding to driving with a broken tail light.

Lake Placid Police Chief Phil Williams said that because of economic hardships people are facing, his officers are using more discretion and giving out warnings if they feel that will get the message across.

"But if a person needs a ticket to learn a lesson," he will get one, Williams warned.

In 2011, the Lake Placid Police Department gave out 185 citations. In 2010, the number was 261.

What also went down last year were the number of traffic accidents and crashes. In 2010, town police officers investigated 190 crashes. Last year, they responded to 174.

"Our failure to write that many citations did not reflect on any kind of accidents," Williams said. "Traffic enforcement does not have to be traffic citations."

Sheriff Susan Benton and Sebring police Cmdr. Steve Carr agree.

Carr said the economy is also the reason Sebring police officers are relying more on warnings.

"Our officers are trying to be compassionate," Carr said. "They feel that if a warning would solve the problem, they do that; they give out citations if they are required."

Whether motorists get warnings or traffic citations is at the discretion of a police officer or patrol deputy making the traffic stop.

Benton thinks another reason behind fewer citations is that traffic fines have gone up significantly in the past couple of years.

"Where it used to be $200, it might be $300," she said. "Coupled with the economy, law enforcement is exercising every discretion and giving citations to the really, really blatant violators."

How the money collected in traffic fines is divvied up depends on where the citation was issued.

Cities and towns get to keep most of the money if city or town police officers make the traffic stop, said Clerk of Courts Bob Germaine. Most of the revenue from traffic fines issued in unincorporated areas goes to the state.

Carr said a drop in traffic revenue has affected his department's training budget. Officers require mandatory minimum training. To save money, they have been going to local academies instead of spending more at out-of-town training places.

With fewer civil infractions to process, clerk of courts employees who work traffic tickets are also helping with juvenile cases, Germaine said.

"We've been cross-training people," he said.