Seattle Police Use Dodge Chargers to Ticket Motorists
Last month, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported that the Chief of the Seattle Police Department, with the blessing of the Mayor, will not hire another sergeant this year to investigate officer misconduct even though the City Council allocated $120,000 for that purpose. You can read the full story by clicking here.
So why should you care? Because the Seattle Police Department is proud to instead have purchased 6 new Dodge Charger vehicles (sticker price to a consumer is $22,000 per car) with which the SPD is bent on stopping people who speed. Officer misconduct? No big deal according to the police. Speeding? Priority!
Apparently, a regular patrol vehicle is not good enough anymore for the police to apprehend people.
On May 4, 2007, the Seattle Times reported that one police officer is actually getting compliments on the new cars (did he get any compliments for ticketing people?). As a result of the creation of the SPD's new aggressive-driving squad, those who drive in Seattle should take notice that the new squad is looking for speeders.
Specifically, the squad is looking for drivers who honk their horns (very aggressive), cut in and out of traffic, weave, and anyone who might be speeding.
In addition to the hundreds of thousands of tax dollars spent on the new sports cars for police and the salaries for the new squad's members, the SPD spent a mere $5,000 on marketing material to let the public know about the squad.
But it's not only Seattle. Redmond and Monroe police, as well as the Washington State Patrol, are also using Dodge Chargers to apprehend those who are speeding. As the weather gets warmer, there are often more drivers and police on the roadways, and as the police need to justify the cost of spending your tax dollars on these expensive cars, expect to see a lot of people being issued speeding tickets.
Wow...Money for cars..yet no internal ethics.
They wont investigate officer misconduct yet justify these new cars.
That reminds me of something that Ill share...
I had an experience in the late 90s where I was pulled over by Seattle Police officer on HWY 99. I recall the officers statement to me when I was somewhat upset about gettin the ticket. This was his response:
" Sir, if you have a problem with the Ticket, you can dispute it. I need the overtime "
Now it appears hes getting a new charger to boot.
The concept of public safety versus the need to generate revenue seems to be at odds, yet somehow coupled at the hip.
America is 5 % of the worlds population and 25% of the worlds prison population.
Washington has 5.5 million residents, yet sees some 2.1 Million Tickets a year.
Ill use a simple ticket to ponder an ethical question.
Is click it or ticket in the interest of public safey?
How about individuals car versus a public bus?
A car versus a motorcycle?
The Seatbelt law was a money generator from day one, and while any officer can say that its for our own safety, all I will say to him, is come tell it to me on the bus. We dont wear seatbelts there.
As far as the Dodge Chargers are concerned...
Downtown Seattle has a marked increase in violence at nightclubs and such..
and Seattle PD seems to think that traffic enforcement is the cure.
Laughable
Mel,
I always appreciate your comments. And the police often do earn overtime for traffic enforcement, often by going to court appearances, which would ordinarily take time out of their regular work schedules. Our tax dollars pay for this. Thanks for bringing this issue to light.
Jon