Posted: 1/28/2016 11:04:09 AM EDT
|
A long but interesting article about using electronic license plate readers to catch people that did not pay traffic fines.
BTW, Port Arthur Police Department is where I started working back in 1970. Today, not a single person that was working there when I was there is still on the force. One thing for sure, Officer Antoine is the most hated man in the city. http://www.buzzfeed.com/alexcampbell/the-ticket-machine |
|
Beyond those numbers lies a racial dimension: The people who Port Arthur police put behind bars for their traffic tickets are disproportionately black. While black people make up only 40% of the overall population — and are ticketed at about that rate — they accounted for about 70% of the arrests for these citations in 2014, according to a BuzzFeed News analysis. Over the past decade, about 1,300 people have spent three days or more in jail for traffic tickets — and about 75% of those people were black. How is that racial? Fact: Blacks make up 40% of the town population and get 40% of the tickets = not racist Fact: A license plate scanner doesn't know if you're black or white = not racist Fact: The cop stops and jails people who have unpaid tickets = not racist Fact: 70% of people stopped and jailed are black = not racist Conclusion: Fewer blacks than whites pay their fines = not racist |
|
Quoted:
How is that racial? Fact: Blacks make up 40% of the town population and get 40% of the tickets = not racist Fact: A license plate scanner doesn't know if you're black or white = not racist Fact: The cop stops and jails people who have unpaid tickets = not racist Fact: 70% of people stopped and jailed are black = not racist Conclusion: Fewer blacks than whites pay their fines = not racist Quoted:
Beyond those numbers lies a racial dimension: The people who Port Arthur police put behind bars for their traffic tickets are disproportionately black. While black people make up only 40% of the overall population — and are ticketed at about that rate — they accounted for about 70% of the arrests for these citations in 2014, according to a BuzzFeed News analysis. Over the past decade, about 1,300 people have spent three days or more in jail for traffic tickets — and about 75% of those people were black. How is that racial? Fact: Blacks make up 40% of the town population and get 40% of the tickets = not racist Fact: A license plate scanner doesn't know if you're black or white = not racist Fact: The cop stops and jails people who have unpaid tickets = not racist Fact: 70% of people stopped and jailed are black = not racist Conclusion: Fewer blacks than whites pay their fines = not racist You thinking and facts are obviously racist. 
|
|
Quoted:
How is that racial? Fact: Blacks make up 40% of the town population and get 40% of the tickets = not racist Fact: A license plate scanner doesn't know if you're black or white = not racist Fact: The cop stops and jails people who have unpaid tickets = not racist Fact: 70% of people stopped and jailed are black = not racist Conclusion: Fewer blacks than whites pay their fines = not racist Quoted:
Beyond those numbers lies a racial dimension: The people who Port Arthur police put behind bars for their traffic tickets are disproportionately black. While black people make up only 40% of the overall population — and are ticketed at about that rate — they accounted for about 70% of the arrests for these citations in 2014, according to a BuzzFeed News analysis. Over the past decade, about 1,300 people have spent three days or more in jail for traffic tickets — and about 75% of those people were black. How is that racial? Fact: Blacks make up 40% of the town population and get 40% of the tickets = not racist Fact: A license plate scanner doesn't know if you're black or white = not racist Fact: The cop stops and jails people who have unpaid tickets = not racist Fact: 70% of people stopped and jailed are black = not racist Conclusion: Fewer blacks than whites pay their fines = not racist Facts is Racist,...Yo |
|
Quoted:
Facts is Racist,...Yo Quoted:
Quoted:
Beyond those numbers lies a racial dimension: The people who Port Arthur police put behind bars for their traffic tickets are disproportionately black. While black people make up only 40% of the overall population — and are ticketed at about that rate — they accounted for about 70% of the arrests for these citations in 2014, according to a BuzzFeed News analysis. Over the past decade, about 1,300 people have spent three days or more in jail for traffic tickets — and about 75% of those people were black. How is that racial? Fact: Blacks make up 40% of the town population and get 40% of the tickets = not racist Fact: A license plate scanner doesn't know if you're black or white = not racist Fact: The cop stops and jails people who have unpaid tickets = not racist Fact: 70% of people stopped and jailed are black = not racist Conclusion: Fewer blacks than whites pay their fines = not racist Facts is Racist,...Yo 
|
|
But people who cannot afford to pay their fines — which can run to a thousand dollars or more — often wind up behind bars, leading to a great disparity in the consequences of traffic tickets on people’s lives.
If you can't do the time, don't do the crime. Slow the fuck down and drive right. Don't get tickets. If you, pay them. It's not rocket surgery. |
|
Quoted:
So... they're catching people who have traffic warrants? Oh the humanity! Quoted:
Quoted:
A long but interesting article about using electronic license plate readers to catch people that did not pay traffic fines. snip So... they're catching people who have traffic warrants? Oh the humanity! Yep. Already been notified of the warrant, but just refused to pay the fine or see the Judge. |
|
Quoted:
A long but interesting article about using electronic license plate readers to catch people that did not pay traffic fines. BTW, Port Arthur Police Department is where I started working back in 1970. Today, not a single person that was working there when I was there is still on the force. One thing for sure, Officer Antoine is the most hated man in the city. http://www.buzzfeed.com/alexcampbell/the-ticket-machine 1970 was 45+ YEARS ago - I would seriously be surprised if there was anyone still working there. |
|
I wonder how much of the revenue from the fines is offset by the expense of jailing. If a lot of folks were to decide to take the jail time (in protest) instead of paying the fine, it could bankrupt the city.
ETA: The way to do this, is everyone who has a warrant, shows up to court on a particular week, and tells the judge that they cannot, or have no intention of paying the fine. Some may get a contempt of court charge, but that would still be a good strategy for the purposes of the protest. |
|
Quoted:
How is that racial? Fact: Blacks make up 40% of the town population and get 40% of the tickets = not racist Fact: A license plate scanner doesn't know if you're black or white = not racist Fact: The cop stops and jails people who have unpaid tickets = not racist Fact: 70% of people stopped and jailed are black = not racist Conclusion: Fewer blacks than whites pay their fines = not racist Quoted:
Beyond those numbers lies a racial dimension: The people who Port Arthur police put behind bars for their traffic tickets are disproportionately black. While black people make up only 40% of the overall population — and are ticketed at about that rate — they accounted for about 70% of the arrests for these citations in 2014, according to a BuzzFeed News analysis. Over the past decade, about 1,300 people have spent three days or more in jail for traffic tickets — and about 75% of those people were black. How is that racial? Fact: Blacks make up 40% of the town population and get 40% of the tickets = not racist Fact: A license plate scanner doesn't know if you're black or white = not racist Fact: The cop stops and jails people who have unpaid tickets = not racist Fact: 70% of people stopped and jailed are black = not racist Conclusion: Fewer blacks than whites pay their fines = not racist Disparate impact = racism It's fucking stupid. |