Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 43

Thread: Town of Tonawanda Police Targeting Innocent Drivers

  1. #1
    Member HipKat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Pekin, IL
    Posts
    8,744

    Angry Town of Tonawanda Police Targeting Innocent Drivers

    About two years ago, I was sitting at the light on Highland Ave in the Town of Tonawanda, waiting to make a left on Delaware Rd.
    Just as the light turned green, I began to make my turn and a Town of Tonawanda police officer, driving south on Delaware Rd pulled me over. I turned onto Princeton Blvd., to avoid the traffic, which is the immediate right hand turn off of Delaware Rd., across from Kenmore West High School. The officer told me I was doing 42 in a 30MPH speed zone. At court, I talked to 12 people that had the same infraction, on the same date, in the same place, by the same officer.
    That incident cost me two days of work, a sacrificed Saturday at driving school and $138.00, even though it was dropped to a parking ticket.
    At the end of 2002, I had picked up a friend of mine from the airport, and we stopped at Caputi’s on Sheridan Dr for a drink. On a Saturday night, at 11:30PM, after having one drink, I pulled out of the parking lot, making a right on Sheridan, before I reached Loretta, I was pulled over and accused of driving 52 in a 40MPH speed zone. Loretta is less than a block from Caputi’s.
    This time, because it was within eighteen months of my first infraction, I had to take a speeding ticket, which put 3 points on my Commercial Drivers License. It also cost me 3 days of work and $112.00.
    Almost a year ago, I was driving my girlfriend home to her house in the City of Tonawanda, from my house in North Buffalo at approximately 2:30 in the morning.
    Because I’m so terrified of driving in Kenmore/Tonawanda at night, I had my cruise control set to the 30MPH speed limit.
    As I approached Sheridan Dr., traveling north on Colvin, my radar detector started to go off. We maneuvered through the curves at Belmont, which I have to slow down to about 25MPH to handle safely, and proceeded to Brighton, where the light was red.
    I was in the left lane. As we sat there, waiting for the green light, a car came up behind me in the right lane. I saw in my mirror, it was a Town of Tonawanda police officer. He stopped just behind me and sat there until the light turned green. He immediately pulled me over and accused me of driving 42 MPH in a 30 MPH speed zone. Specifically, he said he clocked me going that fast through the curves.
    I drive an SUV, and it will not handle those curves at that speed.
    When I went to court, the town prosecuter was not interested in hearing my side of the story and basically gave me no other choice than to go to driving school, again. I explained that I already had been within the last 18 months, making me not eligible for Driving school, and he basically told me I have to take the ticket, then. Also in that time period, of 18 months, I got a legitimate ticket in Eden, which gives me 3 speeding tickets in 18 months, automatic revocation of my license for 6 months.
    I’m an owner/operator of a trucking business, and a soon to be father for the first time. In 15 years of driving tractor-trailer, I have over 1.5 million safe miles. Accident free. I am a good, conscientious driver, yet, I’m now looking at losing my business. Since this happened, I cannot drive and have fallen almost 10,000.00 behind on my bills and monthly payments. I’m looking at losing my business, and having to file bankruptcy. Why?? Why do I have to lose everything I’ve worked for?
    There are three words that describe what happened to me: Extortion, harassment, and illegal revenue collection. Unfortunately, there is no way that the court is going to take the word of a citizen, accused of speeding over that of the officer. My lawyers are working fervently on getting this over-turned, but the Town of Tonawanda is not co-operating. This unfair practice must be stopped immediately. Innocent people are being coerced into spending their hard earned money to pay for unfair and undeserved speeding tickets. While I know that the Town’s police department has a vital responsibility to patrol the roads to prevent blatant law breakers, their well known habits of targeting innocent motorists must come to an end immediately.
    Let me articulate this for you:
    "I'm not locked in here with them. They're locked in here with me!!"
    HipKat's Blog

  2. #2
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Buffalo, New York, United States
    Posts
    64,947
    There is a way we could combat this type of stuff but it's costly. Just send out a few cars with those computers which monitor track trailer speeds. They record like the last 30 minutes or what ever of the trucks speed. I bet they have something cheaper for cars. If you had computer proof of your speed for the last 30 minutes what could the police person say? Umm my radar must of goofed? ummm the curves made you look like you were driving fast.

    If there were just a few cars equipmented the "speed traps" could be occasionally checked. WOuld make them think twice about pulling someone over for quota.

  3. #3
    Member 300miles's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Buffalo
    Posts
    9,612
    many new cars (last 5 years) already have this. Especially GM cars. But I think unless there's a crash, the data gets over-written every 30 seconds so you would have to act immediately to get the data out.

  4. #4
    Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Posts
    2,184
    Grab a camcorder and mount it somewhere in the back of your vehicle in such a way that your speedometer is in it's field of view (as well as the front and driver side windows) then cruise around Kenmore/Tonawanda in the middle of the night at the posted speed limit.

  5. #5
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Buffalo, New York, United States
    Posts
    64,947
    There's an idea... have the clock and timer on so it's recorded in the picture.

  6. #6
    Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    North Buffalo
    Posts
    5,041

    traffic ticket scams

    Very often, traffic tickets amount to nothing more than a hidden tax. I recently filed a constitutional challenge to the cell phone ban in Kenmore Village Court. While filing my papers on behalf of a client, I spoke to the other two people waiting and both were also charged with the dangerous crime of talking on a cell phone while driving, something millions of Americans do every day without incident. I'd be interested to know how many others have gotten nailed by this hidden tax. In the meantime, remember: it's a free country. The government is free to tell us what to do.

  7. #7
    Member HipKat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Pekin, IL
    Posts
    8,744
    As a matter of fact, I have too been cited in Kenmore for talking while driving. The fact that my pregnant gf was freaking out at the time and that's why she called me meant nothing to the officer. I take it you're a lawyer??
    If so, what do you think of my chances of having one of my tix re-opened and a guilty plea to a lesser charge accepted, thereby, hopefully removing the current revocation?
    Let me articulate this for you:
    "I'm not locked in here with them. They're locked in here with me!!"
    HipKat's Blog

  8. #8
    Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    North Buffalo
    Posts
    5,041
    I can't give specific legal advice on a forum such as this. It's generally hard to reopen any case, though. If the law is declared unconstitutional, then old convictions might be reviewed. I will be posting my brief shortly.

  9. #9
    Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Posts
    2,184
    Originally posted by HipKat
    As a matter of fact, I have too been cited in Kenmore for talking while driving.
    Dude...3 speeding tickets and this above..in the span of two years?

    You're a marked man.

    I average 150 miles a day, 95% of which is in erie county.

    I drive like a cowboy. I am the anti-defensive driver.

    I speed, roll through stop signs, talk on the phone...sometimes all at the same time, yet, no accidents, no tickets.

    I'll say it again...you're a marked man.

  10. #10
    Gold Member Night Owl's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    shhhhhhh
    Posts
    6,141
    I average 150 miles a day, 95% of which is in erie county.

    I drive like a cowboy. I am the anti-defensive driver.

    I speed, roll through stop signs, talk on the phone...sometimes all at the same time, yet, no accidents, no tickets.


    You're not exactly one for saftey standards, or consideration for the laws, are you? It's a good think you didn't say that you drive while intoxicated or while impaired. From what you've admitted to... you're one who gives honest drivers or first time offenders a bad name.

    No worries man... like the old saying goes "all good things must come to an end"

  11. #11
    Gold Member Night Owl's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    shhhhhhh
    Posts
    6,141
    Oh, if you feel like you're such a lucky person, maybe you should just play the lottery.

  12. #12
    Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Posts
    2,184
    Originally posted by Night Owl
    You're not exactly one for saftey standards, or consideration for the laws, are you? It's a good think you didn't say that you drive while intoxicated or while impaired. From what you've admitted to... you're one who gives honest drivers or first time offenders a bad name.

    No worries man... like the old saying goes "all good things must come to an end"
    If I drove as poorly as you type I might have cause for concern.

    No worries miss...like the old saying goes..."ignorance is bliss".

  13. #13
    Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Posts
    2,184
    BTW...here's a dose of reality for you, drive the Kensington from one end to the other at the posted speed limit, see if anyone passes you.

    Hahahahaha!

  14. #14
    Gold Member Night Owl's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    shhhhhhh
    Posts
    6,141
    OMG- one typo doesn't compare anywhere near "driving like a cowboy" ...and admitting to it on top of that.

  15. #15
    Gold Member Night Owl's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    shhhhhhh
    Posts
    6,141
    here's a does of reality for you

    Gottcha!!!!! you mean "dose" right?

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •