Northeast Ohio Village's Police Fees Questioned: Report

NEWBURGH HEIGHTS, OH – Anyone who’s ever received a speeding ticket along Interstate 77 in this Cleveland suburb can appreciate a report Thursday from one local TV station. The village of Newburgh Heights is running what the TV station calls “a government sanctioned scam.”

WEWS-TV reports that the village of 2,200 people, which covers all of a half-square mile, has a police department of 30 officers, much larger than the departments of other communities its size. The officers, the report contends, target speeding motorists along I-77.

When drivers get ticketed they also get slapped with a $90 court cost fee, according to the report.

The village also charges “a soft fee,” one that apparently does not have to be paid, for calling an officer to the scene of a traffic accident.

Apparently, city officials were not keen to respond to the WEWS-TV's questions. So, to get answers, a reporter attended a public meeting and questioned Mayor Trevor Elkins and other officials during the public comment portion of the session.

>>> Read the full report from WEWS-TV