In defense of Sheriff’s deputies

Regarding the recent letter, “Sheriff’s deputies have gone too far,” the short answer to your question, Ms. King, is no.

My wife and I have lived in either Thousand Oaks or Oak Park for the past 10 years, and neither of us have ever received a ticket. I don’t consider myself a particularly careful driver, and I do catch myself occasionally exceeding the speed limit. So I don’t share your “the sky is falling” perception of the traffic enforcement in this area.

I, for one, find the constant police presence reassuring, and when some car passes me in a particularly reckless fashion, I take comfort in the fact that if they drive like that around here regularly, it is only a matter of time before they are caught.

As for Ms. King’s desire to have traffic officers let you go with a warning, I don’t share your view that this is done for revenue purposes.

I strongly doubt that an officer can generate the revenue for local government to pay for the cost of paying his/her wages, benefits and retirement.

This is especially true given the fact that the majority of revenue for a citation goes to the state, and not the city or county.

I would imagine the practice to give citations more often than warnings has to do with the fact that the deterrent effect of a citation is significant, whereas a warning will probably cause the driver to change his driving for the amount of time it takes him/ her to get out of the officer’s sight.

So, for any officers or deputies who thought Ms. King’s letter is representative of the local population in general, please rest assured that there are many of us who appreciate the hard work you’re doing out there every day. Stay safe and thanks for keeping the roadways that way for me and my family. Michael Stuver Thousand Oaks

The writer is correct about the revenue from moving violations. A captain from Ventura County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that money from speeding tickets goes to the state. California decided years ago that it would be unfair if law enforcement agencies could or would generate revenue for local jurisdictions by writing tickets while using speed traps and quotas. Only the revenue from non-moving violations (such as parking tickets) stays in local coffers. See related article on page 14A.