To the Editor:
I believe the traffic observing and patrolling by the Ocala Police Department is definitely needed, but if they are just stopping someone to get their numbers up, then that’s an issue.
No where does it state percentage of tickets and/or warnings given, let alone what violations they are stopped for. I am a true believer in lawfullness and if you do the crime, you face the responsibility, be it a ticket/fine/suspension and even jail if necessary.
But I know some of these, at least one for sure, was a young guy on a motorcycle got stopped doing 2 mph under speed limit. When he asked the officer why he was stopped, his response was I just wanted to make sure you were okay since you were going under the speed limit. The officer proceeded to run their credentials and then let them go.
My question: Were they targeting motorcycle riders at random? Are they looking/fishing for anything to get someone on or just padding their numbers? I know they stopped my son for “speeding” as he was turning onto State Road 200 from a complete stop at a light. By the time he straightened up out of the corner, an officer stopped him and said he was 12 mph over limit. I call b.s.
I asked my son what did he clock you with timer/radar, etc., and my son said no idea. His wife and kids were behind him in a car and saw whole thing. They said he was nowhere near that speed. I told him to fight it, but he never contacted a lawyer and just paid the fine so he didn’t lose his license.
I am a professional driver for over 30 years and I see stupidity every day: cell phones/texting, road rage, and general dangerous activity due to people not paying attention to what their surroundings are, or just not caring that they have a ‘me first’ attitude or I can drive like I’m playing Grand Theft Auto. That’s who they should be getting.
Then, we would like to see advanced statistics: We have 23 distracted drivers, 4 dui, 2 street racing, 8 road rage incidents etc. Not only, ‘we increased our stops’ and not explain any reason for stops.
I want to see numbers and reasons why they are being stopped to prove to the general public that your doing something other than padding your numbers.
I myself have been stopped on both my motorcycles. Three times on the one with Pennsylvania plates, and only once on my Florida-tagged bike. Yet, one time they ran me and my bike’s credentials and I’m already gotten through a light that was yellow. The cop had to speed up to get through to me and said ‘I couldn’t read your plate’ even though they both are located in stock mounting places and one has underglow lights.
I mean, really? I have multiple millions of miles under my proverbial driving belt and 30 years driving tractor trailers. I have a clean license and only have had three tickets in my career. I’m not perfect, but neither are the officers on road.
I’d like to see the targeting stopped on bikes and spread out around to everyone. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of idiots out there on bikes as well as cars and trucks, but don’t discriminate. Show us stats on what vehicles and reasons they were stopped and what the outcome are to explain your boosted numbers. Show us, the general public, that you are doing your jobs correctly and with legitimacy.
In closing, thank you Ocala Police Department for all you do. But please, inform us so we don’t assume your just padding numbers to make yourself look good. That’s a page from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office that you don’t want to copy. You’re better than that.
Albert Counterman
Ocala