Small Arkansas city collects more than $152,000 in traffic, misdemeanor offense fines in year

CASH — A small city in northeast Arkansas is cashing in on its fine revenue.

Budgets for the city of Cash show it collected an average of 45 percent of annual expenditures from fines, forfeitures and costs from 2014 to 2016.

Since last year, the city has collected more than $152,000 in traffic and misdemeanor offense revenue from nearly 2,000 citations its police department issued, the Jonesboro Sun reported.

Mayor Michael Cureton supported the high number of citations, saying the city is trying to keep motorists and the public safe.

"I watch the tickets, and as long as they are for excessive speeding I don't have any problem with it," Cureton said. "It's a safety issue, and we try to keep people closer to the speed limit than 15-20 mph."

But according to the Arkansas Speed Trap Law, a city can only receive up to 30 percent of total expenditures from fines and fees.

Cureton said a problem area for the city is the Arkansas 226.

"We have a lot of people speeding," Cureton said. "Most of the stops we make are for excessive speeding, I'm talking 15-20 mph over, believe it or not. The new 226 highway, the new four lane, it runs through Cash, and it's a good, long, straight stretch, and people drive extremely fast on it."

Second Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Scott Ellington said he reviewed the city's citation numbers a couple years ago but that he is willing to take another look.

"I will be happy to look at the most recent numbers and review them with auditors to determine whether the city of Cash is now in violation of the statute prohibiting speed traps," Ellington said.

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