Speeding tickets plummet with troopers gone

All anyone has to do to gauge the impact of suspending the Louisiana State Police’s controversial LACE program is to look. Areas along U.S. Hwy. 90 and I-310 where unwary speeders were almost guaranteed of being pulled over are now devoid of flashing lights.

In St. Charles Parish, District Attorney Joel Chaisson said suspension of the program has reduced tickets issued by 1,400 per month on average.

But Chaisson emphasized the drop represents unsafe roadways.
“It’s very disappointing because it greatly diminished the safety of our highways,” he said. “That 1,400 ticket difference is making a huge difference in highway safety. Without those troopers out there you can see the difference.”

So much so that the DA added, “It’s a speedway out there. I can’t wait for it to come back.”
LACE or Local Agency Compensated Enforcement was suspended on Nov. 8 when three state troopers were accused of claiming extra-duty pay for time they apparently did not work in the program, as well as in regular duty. One of these troopers was reportedly earning $240,000 a year, including $147,000 in overtime from the program. Several instances of potential payroll fraud in LACE allegedly occurred in St. Charles Parish.

Louisiana State Police spokeswoman Melissa Matey said the program is still being reviewed statewide.
Matey’s numbers for the parish showed a similar drastic change with an estimated 1,489 traffic citations issued in the parish from Oct. 8 through Nov. 7, before LACE was suspected. After its suspension, from Nov. 8 to Dec. 7, Matey reported the estimated total fell to 66.

“The above citations include all traffic citations written in St. Charles Parish,” Matey said. They also include any regular duty citations.

Chaisson said the program is coming back, but could only say, “It should be pretty soon,” as to when.
“They’re working on better controls to ensure there are no abuse of their overtime system, but that didn’t have anything to do with the tickets written,” he said. “I’m certain the State Police will restore the program. I’m sure it’s a few isolated individuals that caused the problem. I have not gotten any information that it was a widespread problem with troopers working the program.”

The DA added, “It’s a great program and it greatly enhances highway safety in our parish.”

Chaisson’s office has a contract with State Police to provide additional patrols on I-310, U.S. Highway 90 and I-10. Troopers taking those patrols were assigned by State Police, not the DA, he said.
Under LACE, local parishes hire state troopers to patrol and write tickets on parish highways and the parish keeps the ticket money, but it reimburses State Police for overtime and mileage.

Just as Matey maintained LACE tickets can not be sorted from routine traffic violations, Chaisson also maintained total revenue from them can not be quantified.

But if the 1,400 tickets were the average monthly number written by troopers and each ticket averaged $150 each, St. Charles Parish could see a whopping shortfall if the troopers don’t return.
Based on this rough estimate, the parish could be losing as much as $210,000 a month in gross revenues with fewer tickets issued.

But Chaisson remains focused on the importance of restoring the program.

He emphasized he hopes “a few bad apples” don’t jeopardize a program that he believes makes highways safer.

Chaisson clarified his office has no quota system for the number of tickets troopers write.

Chaisson expressed concern over potentially losing a program that serves as a deterrent, as well as praised troopers’ work toward making highways safer.

LACE became part of Louisiana law enforcement in the 1980s after state budget shortfalls hurt trooper numbers.