DUI checkpoints and tickets?
Doesn't the city make enough money off checkpoints and traffic tickets? I'm tired of our city government making its money off the poor. Your Police Department is corrupt, as in the recent article in the newspaper on one of our finest crashing his car into a tree after drinking and partying with other cops. I'm sick of this. Sal Fernandez
Sal, I'm going to answer the first part of your question. First of all, the city doesn't make any money off of tickets. We're not a for-profit entity. We work on behalf of you and the rest of the citizens of Fresno. The insinuation that we only ticket poor people is as silly as it is inaccurate. The fact of the matter is, you drive the speed limit and don't endanger yourself or others, you won't have anything to worry about. But if you seek to use your vehicle as a deadly weapon and endanger everyone else by speeding, you can rest assured, as long as I'm mayor, I'm going to do everything I can to pull your butt over. The reality is, that over the last several years that this policy has been in place, we have over a 40% reduction in traffic fatalities. In real terms, that means that 60 people are walking around living their lives today that would otherwise be dead. Sal, that could be you, me, our children or anyone else in this city. It's pretty simple: If you get in a car and you don't drink and you don't speed, whether you're rich or poor, you have nothing to worry about, except those who choose to do the opposite. As far as the second question about the loss of one of Fresno's finest, I'm not gonna dignify it with a response. I have too much respect for the Sanchez family.
Comments
It makes me sick also to know the officer in question probably issued tickets to others for what killed him,,, kinda a double standard... the law should prosecute those charged with upholding the to a higher standard. Im glad he is dead, he should not DUI good riddance, im glad he did not take anyone else with him, he endangered many other lives, not only his own!
Posted by: George Berz | December 13, 2006 11:53 AM
Good answer
Posted by: Leonard E. Goldberg | December 13, 2006 12:07 PM
George you need counseling and what an ugly, stupid, idiotic, moronic, etc... thing to say!
Sal, maybe we should educate the poor to stop drinking and driving. This way they'll only get picked on for being poor. Sal, are you poor and did you get a DUI?
I do have a comment about the way this has been handled. Police are here to deter the crime, why not put an officer with a very visible car, truck or trailer (anything highly visible) in the parking lot at some of the popular drinking spots. I'm sure the bar owners will be happy with the extra security and the "poor" drunks might just be deterred enough to call a taxi. That is if they haven't spent all their money on alcohol.
Posted by: Bill Avakian | December 14, 2006 10:47 AM
Bill, have you ever seen a checkpoint after a Fresno state bulldog game? How about you Mr. Autry? Maybe our ex-Distric Attorney could answer that question.
Posted by: SAL FERNANDEZ | December 15, 2006 12:27 PM
Sal--the facts are: the City DOES get the ticket money. It is used to finance the PD--especially the motor cops!
When the City didn't get the fines, the cops and the Mayor could've cared less about traffic enforcement. The mayor wanted the cops chasing the gangbangers the same way they do hookers--from one side of town to the other without doing much of anything effective.
As soon as the county gave the city the fines, then traffic enforcement suddenly became a priority.
On a related note, the city is currently being sued for illegally billing people for being arrested for dui BEFORE they're convicted--something state law does not allow.
At least one attorney in town may go after the PD over the "driving while suspended" stings. Seems the cops may be getting ahead of themselves and violating state law.
But, when has obeying the law mattered to the City of Fresno?
Posted by: Dan | December 19, 2006 7:44 PM
by the responses of the mayor, I think we can all see that he supports ticketing the poor and his anger shows it. He needs to remember that he is getting payd by them and be more professional about his comments. And witha all due respect You are a morran mayor, now remember I said with all due respect.
Posted by: michael | May 24, 2008 3:14 AM