Yes, cops are using trickier and trickier methods for running ‘covert’ radar speed surveilance.

Last summer, hundreds of Central Florida motorists were ticketed by a costumed Uncle Sam officer in a weeklong operation targeting speeding holiday drivers.

About 20 sheriff’s deputies on motorcycles pulled over speeding motorists after they were detected by Uncle Sam’s laser speed-detection gun. During the four-hour traffic operation, 275 citations were issued, according to sheriff’s deputies.

“Unless Uncle Sam hops in your car and puts his foot on your gas pedal and makes you speed, we are not entrapping anybody,” Orange County traffic division Officer Ken Wynne said.

Speeding tickets handed out by Uncle Sam started at $80 and increased with each mile per hour over the speed limit, Orange County sheriff’s deputies said. Later, during the week of Fourth of July, Uncle Sam was on the lookout for red-light runners and aggressive drivers in Orange County. In the past, deputies have dressed up as elves near Christmas, the Grinch at New Year’s and a leprechaun around St. Patrick’s Day.

Raleigh, NC — The state Highway Patrol is again facing questions about one of its members’ judgment.

Over the weekend, a trooper chose not to issue a speeding ticket to a fellow law enforcement officer, an off-duty Durham policeman. After a review, the patrol has found that the off-duty officer was going nearly twice the posted speed limit.

A ticket was issued Tuesday night. Wednesday, though, at least one lawmaker was questioning the agency’s actions.

Trooper David Smith clocked off-duty Durham police officer Anthony Harris going 84 mph in a 45 mph zone at about 7 p.m. Saturday on Junction Road near Club Boulevard. Smith stopped Harris but did not write a ticket.

Smith also decided that while he could smell alcohol on Harris’ breath, Harris had passed field-sobriety tests and was not impaired, officials have said.

Former police officer Jon Blum told WRAL that it is not unusual to see that sort of conduct.

“I think it’s common practice that officers use discretion anytime they stop someone in a car, including another law enforcement officer,” Blum said.

It wasn’t until the news media questioned the Highway Patrol that Harris got a ticket.

The decision followed a string of high-profile incidents involving state troopers.

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Linwood truck driver Steven Paul Kane has got off a speeding ticket where the police flubbed the paperwork. But he had to take his case all the way to the High Court before Justice Christine French quashed the conviction.

Mr. Kane represented himself among the oil portraits and spectacular woodwork of Christchurch’s No. 1 High Courtroom. The crown said the fault was a technicality, but Justice French said it meant the infringement was not served on Mr Kane.

On September 23, 2006, he was driving his truck on State Highway 1 south of Waimate when he was clocked at 111kmh by a police officer with a Stalker radar.

The 40-year-old relief driver was given a ticket, but when the police sent him the notice they got his name muddled. An envelope arrived at his home addressed to K.S.Paul and he did not open it, and sent it back marked “return to sender”. Eventually, he received a reminder, correctly addressed to him.

There were lengthy delays, but eventually the case was heard in front of Justices of the Peace and a fine of $170 plus costs of $30 were imposed.

The law says that where an infringement notice is being served by post, it must be sent addressed to the person who committed the offence, and it must be served within six months.

“In this case,” said Justice French, “the notice wasn’t addressed to Mr Kane but to Mr Paul. It follows that it wasn’t addressed to the person who appears to have committed the infringement offence.

“The crown says he is relying on a technicality. Technicality or not, it’s clear that service did not comply with section 139 (of the Act).

“It follows that the conviction cannot stand. The appeal is allowed. The conviction is quashed.”

source: Courtnews.co.nz

Yep! I was running an errand during my lunch hour, and almost got busted by Austin PD motorcycle cops — FOUR of ‘em! I saw the first one shooting his radar/lidar gun upstream and managed to slow down enough to be out of trouble. Just in front of me was a big Austin FD pump truck. The cop waved at them as they passed. I think the cop would have a hard time giving me a ticket when the firetruck was speeding along beside me. The other three cops were a little further down the road, lights-a-flashin’, writing out tickets.

Anyway, 45 minutes later, on my return trip I saw that they were still there.

If I had only had time to stop and set up my sign! It would’ve been GREAT! I’m still looking to set up my first SpeedTrapAhead station. Everything’s almost ready to go.

If YOU know of somewhere in Austin, TX where cops hang out and issue speeding tickets, please email us. Even if it’s somewhere outside of Austin, let us know that too! We’re wanting to make the speed trap map as comprehensive as possible.

View Larger Map with MORE Austin Speed Traps!

North Texas constables are focusing on issuing traffic tickets even though their primary duty is to serve arrest warrants.

County constables in North Texas are ignoring their primary warrant serving responsibilities in order to issue speeding tickets. In Dallas County, constables have issued $49 million worth of citations even though 92,000 arrest warrants await service. Dallas County Constable Mike Dupree‘s precinct issues an average of 1700 traffic citations per month. His jurisdiction has 24,000 unserved warrants.Texas law establishes that constables have all the powers of a peace officer, but their sole duty is to issue warrants. “A constable shall execute and return as provided by law each process, warrant, and precept that is directed to the constable….” (Texas Code, Section 86.021)

In the late 1990s, DeSoto passed a resolution asking the Dallas County constables to stop running speed traps in the city. Constables have flouted the city council’s wishes and continue to ticket residents. Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price told investigators with KTVT-TV that he preferred having constables issue tickets because there isn’t enough space in jail for those with a warrant out for their arrest.
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