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A rogue cop has reportedly issued thousands of illegal traffic tickets to drivers in West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, in an attempt to take advantage of a state law that allows for increased traffic enforcement in school zones. But instead of installing speed cameras and enforcing the law, an enterprising government official in Ward 2 appears to have taken it upon himself to implement a secret and much more time-consuming version, using a tripod, a hard hat, a safety vest, a handheld radar, and practically does not require responsibility. Now, a lawmaker backed by the state’s attorney general is ordering recipients to tear up the tickets.
This story is still evolving as a local investigative channel Unfiltered with Kieran details, but the short version goes something like this: Earlier this year, Louisiana passed the law explain when and how automated traffic enforcement systems can be used, how tickets should be issued and what remedies are available to citizens who have been ticketed. Allegedly, Ward 2 Constable Ron Tetzel came up with the idea of creating an automated enforcement zone around Lukeville Elementary School off Louisiana Highway 1 to West Baton Rouge Superintendent Chandler Smith at the start of the school year.
This plan calls for the installation of two permanent speed cameras. If things were set up, drivers would be fined $150 for each speeding incident. The law requires an agreement between the company that operates the cameras and the municipality that divides a share of the revenue between them; the constable allegedly proposed terms whereby 10% of the revenue would go to the school board and the remainder would be shared between the local municipality (in this case the 2nd Ward Constable and the Justice of the Peace) and the cell contractor.
That was the last time Smith heard of the idea until citizens began receiving unexpected speeding tickets. It soon became apparent that the constable was moving forward with his plan to begin enforcing the school zone around Lukeville Elementary without the legal boundaries. It also appears that the constable has decided to bypass the camera contractor entirely and literally take matters into his own hands, conducting surveillance using a hand-held LIDAR gun that records drivers’ license plates.
And as it turns out, Constable Tetzel may have ruffled the feathers of a few others. Police in neighboring Addis and Brusley notified residents that no tickets had been issued in their jurisdiction, directing them instead to the Ward 2 Small Claims Court phone number.
Since Tetzel has seemingly operated without a net, it should come as no surprise that some provisions of the law have been ignored, which seems likely to derail his enforcement strategy for good. After complaints began to pile up, Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter reached out to Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, who reportedly shot down the constable’s scheme on the spot, saying the tickets were issued illegally.
why? Two key reasons. First, Ward 2 never entered into the required “cooperative” agreement that would have publicly outlined how the revenue generated from the speed enforcement would be distributed. And secondly, it seems that appeals process required by law for drivers receiving citations is virtually non-existent.
Since the beginning of the “campaign” at the beginning of the academic year, about 5,000 tickets have been issued. The kicker? According to the agreement Tetzel outlined to Superintendent Smith, the Ward 2 constable and justice of the peace were to receive $300,000 in tickets issued so far in 2024. But expediting enforcement is security, right? Please think about it in children.
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