Beware of The Small Town COP

Policing for Profit.

Small-town police may use traffic stops as revenue-generating "speed traps" and use "suspicion" to confiscate your gun. They may show favoritism to locals while scrutinizing outsiders.

Traffic stops have a high likelihood of stops for minor infractions such as speeding, failure to signal, broken taillights or numerous other very minor infractions.  They are often used for fundraising for the town.

Vehicles not recognized may be stopped and questioned and if you have a gun even though you are completely legal in most cases the gun is confiscated and later sold at auction.  Now you have double jeopardy; You have to pay the ticket and you lose your gun.

Poiicing for Profit

To stay safe when passing through small towns adhere strictly to speed limits and traffic laws, but that does not guarantee you will not be stopped because of catch all words and phrases such as “suspicion,” “suspected of,” or “probable cause.” Fund raising from ordinary people who can’t fight back.

 Notable Examples:

Brookside, Alabama 2026: A $1.5 million class-action settlement addressed claims that the town aggressively used tickets and towing to fund its operations, with revenue increasing by 640% .

Aransas Pass, Texas September, 2025: Attorney C. J. Grisham successfully got a SDF members gun returned after three years of fighting a woke judge. SDF member was falsely arrested in April, 2022 and his legal firearm was confiscated. Case dismissed in 2022 gun returned in 2025.

Coffee City, Texas 2023: Population of 250 made headlines for employing 50 officers, many with troubled backgrounds, who primarily generated revenue through high-volume traffic stops. 

Peninsula, Ohio 2023: During a six month period Peninsula police department issued 8,900 speeding tickets generating over $1.3 million in fines amounting to more than 16 tickets per resident in five months.

Corrigan, Texas: In 2020, its 12 officers conducted 8,100 traffic stops—an average of 600 stops per officer—in a town of approximately 1,600 people.

Georgetown, Louisiana: A 2019 financial statement revealed that fines made up nearly 92% of this small village's total revenue.

Eastville, Virginia: A town of only 200 people, it once generated 72% of its budget from fines and forfeitures.

This practice often creates a "legal black hole" for low-income residents, where unpaid tickets lead to warrants, additional fees, and even jail time. Some states have implemented "speed trap" laws to curb this. 

Example in Case Files

Disclaimer: This blog post is a continuing effort to keep our members informed of possible things that might happen to them based on our past defense of members. It is not to be misunderstood or misconstrued as anti law enforcement.