Avoiding Their Fines

The Only Ones think they should be allowed to break the law and evade the consequences.

Among the thousands of drivers who have been issued $40 fines after being nabbed by Montgomery County's new speed cameras are scores of county police officers. The difference is, many of the officers are refusing to pay.

Their excuse is that the tickets are issued not to the driver but to the County-owned cars. Sure, the cars must have made them speed.

In recent weeks, officers have twice been photographed speeding past a camera and extending a middle finger, an act that police supervisors interpreted as a gesture of defiance. "There is no excuse for that kind of behavior," said Andrews, who was briefed on the incidents.

Ah, their noted professionalism and respect for the law!

During the last eight months of 2007, the department's cameras recorded 224 instances in which county police vehicles were nabbed traveling more than 10 mph over the speed limit, the department disclosed this week in response to an inquiry from The Washington Post.

Now, 76 of these were legitimate as officers were responding to calls but two thirds of the remainder have refused to pay- despite the fact that fire-fighters, the Sheriff's Department and different municipal police departments are paying their own fines. It's only County cops who think they should be allowed to break the law with impunity.