Re: “Summit County cops: Traffic tickets not about the money,” SDN, Feb. 5

Every cop I have ever asked has freely admitted to quotas and how traffic ticket income is what keeps police departments alive. I once asked an officer what he was planning to do about a theft, and he flat out told me “nothing, catching thieves doesn't pay the bills.”

If speed traps are all about saving lives, why is the biggest trap in Summit County, on Hwy. 6 next to Lake Dillon, in an area where there has never been an accident in the 25 years I have lived here? It's there because it has the highest volume of traffic in an area where the speed limit is well below what most drivers would expect, so it produces a lot of income.

Here's something to think about: The small town I grew up in southern Wisconsin recently shut down its police force. They decided that since there was already overlap from the county sheriff, why duplicate it in every little village? They saved millions with no increase in crime. Does a county with such a small population really need six overlapping police forces, and all the administrative costs that go along with them? Think how many less tickets they would have to write, not to mention that we could all pay less taxes or put that money toward something better — like schools.