Florida Town with 500 Residents Gave Out 12,698 Speeding Tickets in One Year

That's just one of the town's problems.

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Complex Original

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Hampton, a small town in Florida, is so shady it's facing legislation that would wipe it off the map. Part of the problem—aside from a Mayor who was busted for selling Oxycontin and "reams" of financial regularities—is the 12,698 speeding tickets it gave out between 2011 and 2012. This from a town with only 477 residents

Having claim over just 1,260 feet of highway hasn't stopped Hampton from becoming a notorious speed trap. If you were one of the people ticketed there's a good chance you weren't dealing with a real officer. Some of the 17 people in Hampton's police force included volunteers. The sheriff says he doesn't know how many were actual officers or even trained to use radar guns. 

All those tickets generated $268,624 in 2011, a sizable chunk of the town's budget. But that didn't stop Hampton from running in the red. If the town does get eliminated we can't say it'll be missed. Except by those allegedly profiting from the shenanigans. 

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[via NY Times

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