LETTER: Policing for profit and traffic accidents
Your Feb. 13 story, “Horrific NLV crash reveals gaps, flaws in driving enforcement,” underscores how Nevada’s reliance on fines and fees revenue is antithetical to public safety.
On the one hand, people who can’t afford to pay a ticket for minor infractions such as a broken tail light are trapped in a debt cycle simply because they’re poor. Meanwhile, people of greater means slip through the cracks for dangerous driving. In Nevada, speeding and reckless driving tickets are routinely reduced to “illegal parking” because this makes it a municipal infraction, allowing localities to pocket the revenue.
Ending the conflict of interest between policing and profit is necessary to ensure officers prioritize safety instead of revenue generation.