Police Charging for Accident Reports - United Bimmer Community

**komodo** · 10-06-2005, 08:25 PM

http://www.detnews.com/2005/commutin.../01-337110.htm

Quote:

Police chiefs facing tight budgets are turning to a new source for money -- drivers who cause fender benders or more serious accidents.

A few dozen police departments in the Midwest began charging drivers and their insurers within the past year for the cost of investigating traffic accidents and writing up reports.

Bills for drivers range from $120 to $500.

What the hell? That's lame. It's starting in states all across the midwest. This is going to deter people from filing accident reports on minor accidents. Especially if your not at fault. Imagine being completely broke, and someone hits you. You can't control that, but you're charged for calling a police officer out to file a report.

**Longhairedhippy** · 10-06-2005, 08:28 PM

i can smell a court case. This will be struck down. Equal Protection under the law. What if someone can't afford to have the police file an accident report? Give this a month or two.

witeshark · 10-06-2005, 08:33 PM

That is not gonna fly!

**94bmw325i** · 10-06-2005, 08:50 PM

I hope that doesn't happen here.

**Rooz** · 10-06-2005, 09:51 PM

so, we pay taxes, and we pay cops now...

**xsperf** · 10-06-2005, 10:31 PM

why are they on a tight budget, too many donuts probably

**Chris** · 10-06-2005, 10:53 PM

^^^ tight beltlines too!

**Rooz** · 10-06-2005, 11:12 PM

Well, let's see here, take the average cop...

Drives a good 50 miles to find the perfect donut shop...
Grabs a dozen donuts and a cup of coffee, which of course are state paid

Then drives let's say 20-30 miles to find a good speed clocking spot....
Get's in his donut friendly position, and turns his speed gun on...

Eats a few donuts and drinks some coffee, then this hot m3 blazes by, radar goes crazy, cop jumps up, drops his coffee and a few donuts, by the time he gets to leaving his spot, he's got a huge mess in the car and the M3 is loooooong gone...

So, now he has to take his car to get detailed and cleaned up, and of course tax paid...

Then buy more donuts and coffee, which god forbid they can't run without.... and eventually by the end of the day he might be able to stop someone doing like 6 over

**Longhairedhippy** · 10-06-2005, 11:25 PM

honestly, if this happens to me, I will fight it all the way to the supreme court. it's a load of crap.

**RogueRonin** · 10-07-2005, 10:07 AM

I agree, this isn't going to last long. Since we pay taxes, we shouldn't have to pay cops extra for any damn thing. Well, if I AM paying a cop for something, it better be to bribe his ass into letting me into the Narcotics closet, to get me some goodies.

**dinan540** · 10-07-2005, 02:06 PM

Complete bullshit. In the state of Washington, you can't not get a cop, this is in King County, to come write an accident report unless, someone is injured, or one of the parties in the accidents is refusing to give insurance information. The police department said that they are too busy to be bothered with fender benders. What the hell am I paying taxes for. I was hit by some idiot and wanted an accident report to make sure his insurance will pay for the damage. Police won't come to the scene and the guy that hit me has disappeared.