Coburg police using I-5 for revenue

[antisocialist541]

Just a rant here, and a call to others who might be irritated with the fact that Coburg city police run radar on interstate 5. They pull people over for speeding infractions on a stretch of I-5 that is within their city limits. Anyone from the area knows that speeding I-5 traffic has zero impact on the City of Coburg, since the city sits roughly a mile off the interstate. The only reason the small town cops are on I-5 is to collect $. I encourage anyone who passes through their corridor and sees them running radar, to give the station a call. Simply ask them their reasoning. Is it for anything other than generating money? The nice lady I spoke with couldn't give me any other valid reason. Im sure she could sense my disapproval. My hope is that if enough people protest, they may be shamed into stopping or not doing it as much? Just a thought and a hope for the poor suckers that get pulled over in that particular spot.

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[slimmer13]

SOP. Speeding within city limits of any town will get you a ticket most of the time.

 

[antisocialist541]

Agreed, not the point. Point being, you never see city cops running radar on the interstate. At least not in this general area. I travel the PNW a lot, always state police on interstates. City only wants some cash, greedy.

 

[Stepside2000]

My wife's grandparents live in southern Oregon and her grandpa warned me the first time we drove down to visit them about 6 years ago to watch my speed around Coburg because of that. My only guess on why they do speed traps on I5 would be they have a jurisdiction agreement with state police so staters can patrol other parts of the freeway. I know there are some areas of Oregons freeways where they only get patrolled once a day depending on officer schedules. And if there is a call somewhere then some areas don't get patrolled at all. At least that's how it was a few years ago from what an old coworker who's son used to be an Oregon trooper told me.

 

[19 Adam]

I agree with your post, Antisocialist, but would like to give additional info to everyone.

Oregon State Police has faced severe reductions in staffing over the last 10+ years and now encourages local law enforcement to patrol/cite on state highways that run through or are adjacent to their jurisdiction. Since the state is no longer able to investigate all of the issues, crashes, and DUII's the local's have had to step in and fill in the void.

I am an assertive, trained, driver and would not like to get stopped for speeding but the bottom line is "if you do the crime be ready to do the time".

And for those LEO out there I am sure you know there is not many calls for service in Coburg. You have to pass the time somehow. Maybe a little interdiction training and start stopping cars on the interstate in hopes of getting lucky.

 

[Nutty4Guns]

It's Coburg. What else are the cops going to do? Only 3 people live in town, and it's not that hard to keep an eye on them.

 

[antisocialist541]

Thanks for the perspective, one of the reasons I love this forum.

 

[Adam12]

Agreed, not the point. Point being, you never see city cops running radar on the interstate. At least not in this general area. I travel the PNW a lot, always state police on interstates. City only wants some cash, greedy.

Not true. Portland, Salem, Eugene, roseburg, Douglas county, Medford


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[Nwcid]

Just how much do you think the city makes from a traffic ticket?

I can not find the link for OR. In most cases it ends up being about $10-15 on a speeding ticket. Yes if you write enough it can add up but still. That does not take into account any ticket that is contested. In most places the LEO's are required to show up in court if contested. Say that takes 3hr for the LEO by the time he comes on the clock, then sits in court, then gets home. Odd's are it will be on OT so say he makes $30. That means the city is paying out close to $40/hr with insurance, taxes, retirement, ect. So that ticket they get $15 for just put them $100 in the hole...............

 

[U201491]

Just how much do you think the city makes from a traffic ticket?

I can not find the link for OR. In most cases it ends up being about $10-15 on a speeding ticket. Yes if you write enough it can add up but still. That does not take into account any ticket that is contested. In most places the LEO's are required to show up in court if contested. Say that takes 3hr for the LEO by the time he comes on the clock, then sits in court, then gets home. Odd's are it will be on OT so say he makes $30. That means the city is paying out close to $40/hr with insurance, taxes, retirement, ect. So that ticket they get $15 for just put them $100 in the hole...............

I have a hunch those tickets run more like 200 to 300 each ?
You must not have had a ticket in a real long time

 

[antisocialist541]

How many out of towners on their way up or down I-5 are going to contest a speeding ticket if they have to drive all the way back to Coburg to apper? I wouldn't.

In all my years of driving I-5 (50k per year) from Medford to pdx, I've never once seen a city cop running radar on I-5, except Coburg.

 

[Tangent123123]

Or... You could just go the clearly posted speed limit instead? Why should you be so angry when you are caught doing something you KNOW you shouldn't be doing? If you speed you know you are taking a calculated risk. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

Sure, they are just collecting $. But you are also doing something you know you shouldn't be doing. When you get your license you agree to obey the rules of the road as well as the posted rules, which include speed limits. Maybe instead of trying to shame the police into stopping people from breaking the law you should reflect on your need to go faster then you really need to. Maybe leave home 5 minutes sooner next time instead of speeding?

 

[antisocialist541]

Who said I speed? I never said that, in fact I haven't had a speeding ticket. How you like that? It's the fact they are only doing it for money. Not protect and serve in my opinion. If I thought they were looking for drug runners or anything in addition to just a speeding fine, I wouldn't complain. All the variables (if you think about them) add up to simply dollars of revenue.

 

[Nwcid]

I have a hunch those tickets run more like 200 to 300 each ?
You must not have had a ticket in a real long time

You missed what I said, I said the CITY gets about $10-15/ticket. The courts, state, ect get the majority of the money. It looks like ORS 153.633 to ORS 153.675 covers it, https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors163.html

I have got lots of tickets, but I also have a clear record.

 

[Nwcid]

How many out of towners on their way up or down I-5 are going to contest a speeding ticket if they have to drive all the way back to Coburg to apper? I wouldn't.

In all my years of driving I-5 (50k per year) from Medford to pdx, I've never once seen a city cop running radar on I-5, except Coburg.

The are betting most won't. So like I said write enough and have enough people not contest it does add up. I was just saying the CITY is only make about 10% the face value of the ticket.

 

[19 Adam]

You missed what I said, I said the CITY gets about $10-15/ticket. The courts, state, ect get the majority of the money. It looks like ORS 153.633 to ORS 153.675 covers it, https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors163.html

I have got lots of tickets, but I also have a clear record.

Sounds about right that the city of Coburg gets about $10-15 per citation. The state reaches in and takes the bulk of it to pay for the court system and its related programs. The Department of Public Safety Standards and Training is funded in part (maybe a large part) by the proceeds of traffic citations.

 

[Fast Eddie]

This has been a time honored tradition going back many, many years.

 

[Mark W.]

Well I drive dump truck from Estacada to Salem, to Eugene to Santiam Junction to Newport to Portland to The Dalles and I have seen every form of cop running radar on the hwys and byways including I 5. I drive on average about 1200 miles a week.

 

[Stepside2000]

Another perspective too for something that seems to be happening with more frequency in the PNW, how many huge drug busts have happened from a routine traffic stop. There was one just last Wednesday in Clackamas county where the guy was transporting 21 pounds of meth. Traffic stop leads to massive drug bust: 21 pounds of meth - KPTV - FOX 12

Sadly news stories like that make me wonder just how much of that kind of thing is really out there and wish for better days.

 

[antisocialist541]

I'm not referring to the highways and byways. They run directly through towns, have varied speeds and actually impact the town itself! I see all kinds of cops on those too. Interstate 5 has a completely different make up of traffic, some of which are simply using it to pass through Oregon. Whereas highways and byways tend to carry more local traffic (Oregon residents). Not always the case I know but more so than the interstate. If you see a CITY cop ON I-5 running radar, I'd love to hear it. Not just, I saw a city cop driving on I-5 today.