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Police chief cancels $86K in speeding tickets

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By Hannah Poturalski, Staff Writer 9:08 PM Tuesday, April 12, 2011

HAMILTON — Hamilton police could have issued 906 speeding tickets after the department’s mobile speed camera was stationed in Joyce Park on April 2 during the Mid-American Soccer Classic.

But Police Chief Neil Ferdelman waived them all — after deciding that the Classic was a special event, and since out-of-state visitors attending it were unaware of the camera’s use.

“It did record hundreds of violations and I directed the lieutenant to have them canceled,” Ferdelman said. “My reasoning is, if I had known about the special event I never would have allowed the device to be used.”

At $95 a ticket, more than $86,000 would have been generated. Ferdelman said 70 tickets were mailed, but follow-up letters were sent out telling drivers to disregard them.

Ferdelman said he received a call on April 5 from Fairfield Police Chief Michael Dickey inquiring about use of the camera during the soccer tournament at Joyce Park, which is near the Hamilton-Fairfield city line.

“The tournament officials notified our parks and recreation that they were dismayed with the enforcement effort and the fact that the speed device had issued a number of tickets,” Dickey said. “Then I made inquiry to the chief.”

Fairfield Police were stationed at the tournament and had covered the stop signs to promote traffic flow of the 5,000 visitors.

Ann Yungbluth, director of the soccer tournament, said she became aware of the mobile speed camera on April 3. “We are grateful the city of Hamilton realized this would have an impact on the tournament for next year and decided to ‘forgive’ the citations for that weekend,” Yungbluth said.

James Barber of Charleston, W.Va., received a $95 speeding ticket after attending the tournament. Barber said he’s one of three parents from his soccer team to get a ticket in the mail, and said he hadn’t received a letter about it being waived.

“I probably was exceeding 25 mph, so I don’t have a problem with that,” Barber said. “I didn’t see a posted limit.”

After the soccer tournament, Hamilton Police decided April 6 to stop use of the speed camera. By Tuesday the department decided to reinstate the camera’s use.

Ferdelman said since the soccer tournament, communication has increased between Fairfield and Hamilton on traffic issues such as these. “Neither side knew what the other was doing,” Ferdelman said. “This is a good time to look at the good and bad points (of the camera).”

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2179 or hpoturalski@coxohio.com.

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