Texas police shake down drivers to the tune of $3 millon dollars

[geetrue]

You wouldn't believe this without a link: http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/05/05/texas.police.seizures/

Guillory, who practices in nearby Nacogdoches, Texas, estimates authorities in Tenaha seized $3 million between 2006 and 2008, and in about 150 cases -- virtually all of which involved African-American or Latino motorists -- the seizures were improper.
"They are disproportionately going after racial minorities," he said. "My take on the matter is that the police in Tenaha, Texas, were picking on and preying on people that were least likely to fight back."
Daniels told CNN that one of the officers who stopped him tried on some of his jewelry in front of him.
"They asked me, 'What you are doing with this ring on?' I said I had bought that ring. I paid good money for that ring," Daniels said. "He took the ring off my finger and put it on his finger and told me how did it look. He put on my jewelry."

[AVGWarhawk]

Sometimes known as 'police shopping' or 'police mooching'. Happens a lot and this is not a surprise. These cops do give the good cops a bad name but what can one do? Not much. You know, some cops find doors, 'inadvertantly left open' at a major appliance estblishment...yeah sure. Dishwashers for everyone this Christmas....seen that in my own neighborhood. That cop is now used car dealer...go figure.

[Jimbuna]

Could be a nice little racket going on there.

Sadly, it only takes one black sheep to give the rest of the flock a bad name

[GoldenRivet]

im a stones throw from Nacogdoches.

you want to get the crap beat out of your wallet - drive through that town... or Zavalla, Texas... holy crap thats the traffic stop capital of Texas.

[Onkel Neal]

Yeah, Texas cops are among the most notorious when it comes to this kind of thing. Ticket happy too, pretty sad.

[sunvalleyslim]

Come on Neal, don't generalize.....There may be some, but theres got to be the Good Ones Too.....I always like when someone says "and they're ticket happy too". You don't get any more pay for the tickets you write ....So it always begs the question. If you were a Traffic Cop on a 10 hour shift, and expected to write tickets because there's a problem on your beat with people getting killed or seriously hurt. How many tickets would you write a day to solve the problem?........And let's not talk about some cheezy town in Texas that ain't got a problem excepting that 16yr old looking Texas Cop that ain't got a clue as to what the "Real World" is doing.....