green73
11-13-2013, 02:40 PM
SORRENTO, LA — Citizens are asking why a cop who hands out speeding tickets like candy is exempt from the same laws that he so enthusiastically enforces.
Officer James Bell recently wrecked the tax-subsidized vehicle in a crash exceeding 100 miles per hour. This prompted investigators to review the GPS recorder outfitted in the vehicle to review his driving behavior.
The GPS unit revealed hundreds of excessive speeding incidents. The afternoon of the crash, Bell’s cruiser had repeatedly reached high rates of speed –109 and 106 miles per hour — in separate instances.
In 2 months time — from July 1 to September 3 — Bell drove his police vehicle more than 75 miles per hour a total 737 times, oftentimes outside of town limits, outside his jurisdiction, WLOX-13 reported after seeing the GPS records.
“You’re driving like that in areas outside of your jurisdiction, surely you’re not chasing people outside of your jurisdiction,” said Andre Gauthier, who is representing the woman Bell injured in the high-speed crash, which occurred on September 2nd.
Police Chief Earl Theroit gave Officer Bell a written reprimand and dusted his hands of the matter. He refused to put Bell on administrative leave because he “doesn’t have the manpower.”
In the same two months, Officer Bell issued more than 300 speeding tickets. Bell’s apparent role on the 5-man department is revenue generation, and the town can’t afford to have one less tax-collection unit on the roads of the 1,500-resident town.
cont.
http://www.policestateusa.com/2013/sorrento-officer-james-bell-speeding/
Officer James Bell recently wrecked the tax-subsidized vehicle in a crash exceeding 100 miles per hour. This prompted investigators to review the GPS recorder outfitted in the vehicle to review his driving behavior.
The GPS unit revealed hundreds of excessive speeding incidents. The afternoon of the crash, Bell’s cruiser had repeatedly reached high rates of speed –109 and 106 miles per hour — in separate instances.
In 2 months time — from July 1 to September 3 — Bell drove his police vehicle more than 75 miles per hour a total 737 times, oftentimes outside of town limits, outside his jurisdiction, WLOX-13 reported after seeing the GPS records.
“You’re driving like that in areas outside of your jurisdiction, surely you’re not chasing people outside of your jurisdiction,” said Andre Gauthier, who is representing the woman Bell injured in the high-speed crash, which occurred on September 2nd.
Police Chief Earl Theroit gave Officer Bell a written reprimand and dusted his hands of the matter. He refused to put Bell on administrative leave because he “doesn’t have the manpower.”
In the same two months, Officer Bell issued more than 300 speeding tickets. Bell’s apparent role on the 5-man department is revenue generation, and the town can’t afford to have one less tax-collection unit on the roads of the 1,500-resident town.
cont.
http://www.policestateusa.com/2013/sorrento-officer-james-bell-speeding/