Off Duty Off Fund?

A couple of weeks ago, early one saturday morning, I got caught by my local sheriff's dept in essentially a speed trap, doing 13 over the limit driving down a freeway overpass. OK you caught me, where do I sign? I rarely if ever see our Finest working Traffic like I have in other places I lived - you just don't see cops pulling someone over for blowing red lights, stop signs, etc around here. Nah, they periodically do road blocks for insurance checks, vehicle inspection stickers, or wait at the bottom of freeway overpasses to pick off every driver that rolls down in the early morning hours.

But I digress. So adequate time has passed, and I can go on line to get my lovely fine amount. Among the itemized things I'm going to be donating to - all of which make some kind of sense, with one exception - the "Off Duty Off Fund." :confused: Is that like the "Widows and Orphans Fund"? Otherwise known as the "beer and pizza fund?" It's $10, whatever it is. I wonder if I can choose not to donate to the Off Duty Off Fund? Nah, probably not.

back in my youth, i got a ticket for drinking beer.
several of us had stopped at cirkle k and were just hanging out on the side of the parking lot drinking beer on a friday nite after work.
we got ticketed.
when we went to court our fine was either x-amount of dollars or give a pint of blood to the local united blood services. it appears they give (or did give) that option for all minor infractions.

I think it means Off Duty Officer's Fund, which does seem a lot like a keg-party kitty! But I'll bet it is for survivors of officers killed on duty or officers who are injured or whatever. How they got $10 from every ticket is beyond me?

One thing I have absolutely stopped doing is speeding. We call tickets the Stupid Tax. I don't want to pay the Stupid Tax. I'm also very aware of my gas mileage, and speeding just kills it. I also enjoy very much driving in the right lane at precisely the speed limit and watching everyone just pass on by--which means I usually have the whole road to myself. :)

Karen

I cannot IMAGINE telling ANY citizen that part of their speeding fine is going to buy me pizza and beer (not that I wouldn't be down with that). But I get the "I'm paying your salary with my tax dollars" snipe enough when I write a ticket, I think the reaction to "oh by the way, a portion of your donation is going to feeding our underpaid and underappreciated officers."

I am SURE (well, not sure, I guess anything is possible) it is for something legit. But ask. I would be interested to know.

We can't even accept anything other than a token of appreciation more than a cup of coffee as per policy. I gave a guy a ride to get gas and he insisted on giving me a Chili's gift card. No matter how much I protested...he finally dropped it in my window. I got that OK'd, but the guys made me take them out on it.

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Originally Posted by kenyonchris

I am SURE (well, not sure, I guess anything is possible) it is for something legit. But ask. I would be interested to know.

We can't even accept anything other than a token of appreciation more than a cup of coffee as per policy. I gave a guy a ride to get gas and he insisted on giving me a Chili's gift card. No matter how much I protested...he finally dropped it in my window. I got that OK'd, but the guys made me take them out on it.

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Agree, worth asking about the "fund" option.

Maybe things are different in the U.S. or different states, but in Ontario and British Columbia vehicle speeding tickets are on pre-printed forms that must conform to provincial legislation. Actually often, the actual sample form itself is integrated directly in the legislation (usually a regulation under a statute)..an absolute assurance that all the necessary information is collected and it's legally collected by the officer...which will form as part of the evidence also. Hard to believe that there would be an additional line on offence form to penalize someone, with option to donate to a "fund".....unless that the state/provincial law actually gives the police authority to nominate the fund or the law names the fund itself.

Police and fire departments I've seen so far, do fundraising but they are often appear to be standalone events, with huge banners or marketing posters, etc. to say so to the general public on the purpose of their charitable fundraising.

When I got a ticket in Tennessee once, the fine was divided up by line item to what that portion of the fine was paying for. It wasn't on the ticket itself. It was on the receipt. I am certain it is by ordinance or act of the legislature that it is done that way. Some of the items were for streets, court costs, etc.

I've never paid an officer for a ticket...don't remember seeing that done since I've been a driver, although it is parodied in movies and such. I would be very suspicious about paying an officer.

Karen

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Originally Posted by kenyonchris

...But I get the "I'm paying your salary with my tax dollars" snipe enough when I write a ticket, I think the reaction to "oh by the way, a portion of your donation is going to feeding our underpaid and underappreciated officers."

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Wow. That just amazes me. I've have the upmost respect for law enforcement officers, and I'm glad that my taxes go toward paying their salaries. They protect me, my loved ones, our property, etc. They were also first responders on 9/11, when the plane hit the Pentagon.

I admit to speeding (no excuses offered, it's just a fact). If I get stopped, I'll apologize and pay the ticket because I will be in the wrong.

I was in a pretty bad car wreck more than 10 years ago and the Arlington County police officers who were on the scene took such good care of me. One came to the ER to make sure I was ok, and to tell me what happened to my car, the other driver (she was at fault), and what kind of fine/ticket he gave her.

He showed up to court hearing, too. He told the judge how badly I was injured, making sure the other driver received her fine.

Unfortunately, some people don't appreciate hard working public servants until they need them.

My DH did have an experience, in the 70's, where he was speeding in some very rural area of the west (Montana? Utah?) and the officer told him he was going to jail "or else." DH paid him the fee at the station and left.

I readily admit I was speeding down the incline, and they caught me. Plan to pay my ticket, just interested in the way the fine is allocated.

The cops in our area are fairly low paid - if it wasn't for the off-duty over-time opportunities, I doubt they could make a decent salary.

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Originally Posted by bmccasland

Among the itemized things I'm going to be donating to - ....

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...I'm still trying to figure this one out.
Granted, it's been a long time since I've gotten a speeding ticket. But when I did (I got 3 within a short period of time, which jacked up my insurance rates for several years! :eek:), I was handed a ticket, and checks could be made payable to the community or jurisdiction in which the ticket was issued, thank you very much. Same thing with recent parking tickets (I blame that one on biking to work....Since I don't feed the meter to park my bike, I forget that I need to do that when I take the truck!).
I had no idea that tickets could be allocated or apportioned to various groups or funds. :confused:

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Originally Posted by 7rider

I had no idea that tickets could be allocated or apportioned to various groups or funds. :confused:

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It's kind of the other way around. It's not the fine, actually - most states have surcharges for specific purposes added to court costs in certain types of cases.