LAWTEY, Fla. – In the entire United States, AAA motor club said there are only two cities it calls speed traps: Lawtey and Waldo, Florida. The driver-centered organization now said it is considering changing their designation.
Lawtey and Waldo are both on heavily traveled U.S. 301. Waldo abolished its police force in 2015 after officers admitted ticket quotas were a reality. Lawtey has four full-time officers and the chief.
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Officer Jay Raulerson works the morning shift in Lawtey. The first driver he stopped is a correctional officer doing 37 mph in a residential neighborhood. The posted speed limit is 20 mph.
"The chief's been getting a lot of complaints of people speeding up and down through here," Raulerson said.
Lawtey Police Chief Shane Bennet was elected chief in 2014, after the previous chief of 52 years retired.
"The city of Lawtey, on a citation that's $196. Lawtey only gets about $36 of that, so it's not the cash cow that people think it is, and quite certainly it's not our goal," Bennet said. "Our goal is traffic safety."
Police there average 17 tickets a day. That's one for every 1,000 cars that pass down this road.
Bennet has asked AAA motor club to reconsider their speed trap designation.
"We don't want to be a speed trap designation," Bennet said. "We don't think we are a speed trap designation."
In a statement, AAA Vice President Kevin Bakewell said, "Given the abolishment of the Waldo Police Department and what appears to be more reasonable leadership in Lawtey, we are revisiting their designations."
"We want visitors to come through here, stop at our stores and know that they are welcome and that they are not targeted," Bennet said.
One question AAA has asked is how many tickets go to locals compared to outsiders. Bennet said the answer isn't a winner for the small town. Locals are outnumbered 17 to 1 on Lawtey roads every day of the year.
Lawtey's chief believes the city's future is growing its tax base through tourism and economic development, not making people mad by giving them tickets.
AAA said News4Jax will be the first to know if the speed trap designation is removed.