Patrick> I know you are very wrong. With the recent drop in fuel prices the City of Holly Springs is already planning on reducing the increase in fines. As well I would challenge you to find one City or County in this Country that has been as forthright about increasing fines because of fuel costs. Just one? Nope they normally quietly raise those fines and keep raising them usually every year or two without saying a word. Holly Springs could have (legally) done the same thing. But nope they were very honest, open, and transparent about it. I would call that a GOOD thing.

Also would please define a “speed trap” cause in my book if you are not speeding, breaking the law, you don’t get stopped and issued a ticket. A “speed trap” is where an police officer is doing something illegal with the radar. FOOLS that speed like a bat out of hell and then caught deserve what they get instead of hollering foul or dang cops are “running a speed trap to raise revenue” I bet your driving record more than speaks for itself.

I should have also pointed out with the quote on “local authority” that the fee added to tickets was “an increase in fines” and not a “surcharge” as reported by the media (not that they ever get anything wrong). So the poster was correct in adding it was not “legal as a surcharge” when he started talking about a “quota” in his remarks. But you can check the Holly Springs Georgia Website to see the Correct Ordinance related to adding this as a “fine increase”

This is a fantastic idea and should have been done years ago. Why not let those that use the cops up the most pay the most??? The alternative is to increase taxes on the taxpaying citizens who rarely use the system. Protection is a must, keeping patrols going is a must, answering calls is a must, enforcing traffic laws is a must, but if you don’t want to pay for fuel in a police car don’t break the law. NO FINE< NO FUEL FEE either, gee that is tough to figure out. Kudo’s to the Chief in Holly Springs Ga, and I hope every single Chief in this Country jumps on it. And to the poster who said it is not “legal” you should check the Georgia Law Books, it is LEGAL under what is called “local authority” and given to the cities/counties in Georgia by State Legislation. Raising fines can be up to $1,000.00 max on each violation under “local authority” and I think a $12 increase is more than fair. Not enough, but more than fair. Stop Speeding, Stop Breaking the Law and Stop Whining!

Never thought I’d see a governmental agency capitalizing on high gas prices.  Income-based fines ala certain European countries would be welcome though.

The next step beyond charging a “fuel fee” is to just have a flat fee. That would include the fuel fee, a rescue fee, an enforcement fee, and of course, a gratutity. The bottom line is that in the near future police services will be available only to those who can afford it. It’s “privatization” coming of age.

Guilty until proven innocent! What if there was not a justifiable cause to pull someone over? Sounds to me like just another way for the police to fill their coffers.

There are at least a half dozen reasons why this plan (when challenged) will not pass muster. The “quota system” was dispatched by a conservative Supreme court on similar grounds. 

The simple way to pay costs is for the STATE (where such increases are allowed) to increase the cost of a ticket and then return some of these funds to local departments.