What I’m trying to figure out, is why do you become a cop if you don’t want to enforce the law? Ames Police have never enforced traffic laws. They sit in parking lots beside major roads like they’re running a speed trap, but you never see them write tickets. I see Highway Patrol write more speeding tickets in Ames than the cops (they used to set up on Highway 69 on the south part of Duff Ave). All this came to mind while I was sitting at the major intersection in town, Lincoln Way and Duff (US Hwy 30 & US Hwy 69). I’m waiting for the left turn light to turn red for the oncoming traffic and our southbound turns green. My light turns green and I start to go. 3 vehicles come through on my green! I honk and am still creeping out into the intersection and they just keep coming!

It reminded me of last month in June when I witnessed 2 crashes on Grand from people running red lights. We only go north on Grand once a week for an hour on our walks. So 4 times in June, and we witnessed 2 wrecks. That’s a lot. People get used to doing what they get away with. So if cops don’t write tickets for running a red, by God they’ll do it! If on the other hand cops wrote tickets for infractions, word would start to get around and people would see them writing tickets, and there wouldn’t be so many scofflaws. When cops are lazy and let things go property damage and personal injury are the result. There’s a reason laws were written, and consequences when they’re not enforced.

Like with fireworks being illegal in Ames, cops have gotten it in their heads they get to pick and choose which laws they get to enforce. Got news for you cop, you get paid north of $80K a year with great benefits because you’re supposed to be working, not sitting on your ass all day.

[On an associated note, LA County recently re-instituted their indoor mask mandate for the COVID. The LA County Sheriff said ‘I ain’t enforcing that’ – further evidence of law enforcement telling the lawmakers to stuff it.]