Florida congressman Jimmy Patronis criticizes cops after getting speeding ticket
Like many Floridians, Florida congressman Jimmy Patronis received a speeding ticket. And like many Floridians, he was angry.
Patronis was arrested on Thursday, October 23, for speeding on what the Florida Department of Transportation calls the Pensacola Bay Bridge and everyone else calls the Three Mile Bridge. He got a ticket for going 6 mph over the limit.
Gulf Breeze Police said he was pulled over for going 68 mph in a 45 mph zone. According to WEAR News.
Patronis said Tuesday the officer did his job, paid the fine and “did my driving school.” But he opposed what he called faster sniping.
“When I was CFO [Florida Chief Financial Officer]’And I said, ‘You know, guys, if you’re going to write a ticket, be out in the daylight.’ ‘Instead of being out of sight and taking sniper shots, stand on top of the bridge and impress thousands of drivers the moment they see you.
“This doesn’t change the culture or respect for speed,” he said, likening it to hunting deer.
Patronis says sniper tickets are about money
Patronis said such tickets are for revenue purposes only.
“This is about money,” he said. “This is about money, and it shouldn’t be. It should be all about public safety.”
However, Hawthorne said, “as a city, we could maybe charge ten dollars” for such a ticket. Gulf Breeze police often reduce ticket speeds to save drivers from higher fines, he said.
The standard fine for driving 6-9 miles per hour over the speed limit in Florida starts at $25 under state law, but many counties add their own fines. Driving 20-49 mph over the posted speed limit will get you a fine starting at $175.
Gulf Breeze police say officer wasn’t hiding
Gulf Breeze Police Chief Rick Hawthorne told a WEAR News reporter that the officer was not hiding.
“He was on the north side of the big mound, parked in the emergency lane and his lights were off,” Hawthorne said. “And it was 6 o’clock at night, so he wasn’t behind a bush or a tree where he couldn’t be seen.”
“You know,” he adds, “if you are exceeding the speed limit, you may notice police vehicles parked on the side of the road or in their areas.”
Florida increases speeding fines, enacts ‘super speeding’ law
This year Florida targeted “super speeders” new crime“dangerous excessive speeding” for anyone exceeding the speed limit by 50 mph or more or recklessly driving 100 mph or more. The law came into force on July 1.
Anyone found guilty of dangerous speeding could face a $500 fine, up to 30 days in jail, or both.
Second or subsequent offenses carry up to 90 days in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both, and repeating this within five years will result in your license being revoked for at least six months.
During the Florida Highway Patrol’s annual five-day mission “Operation Southern Deceleration” The operation handed out at least eight “super speeding” tickets out of more than 7,000 speeding tickets issued, FHP Lt. Jim Beauford said in an email.
This article first appeared in the Pensacola News Journal: Florida congressman Patronis arrested for speeding, calls police
