Wisconsin police chief tickets himself $235

[TypeS]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12784367/


Top cop pays fine, docks himself 4 points on license after traffic violation



KEWASKUM, Wis. - Police Chief Richard Knoebel says he wasn?t about to take the easy way out when he accidentally drove past a stopped school bus with its emergency lights flashing.

For violating traffic laws, Knoebel wrote himself a ticket for $235, docked himself four points on his driving record and paid the fine the next day.
It happened in September but didn?t make news until after the fine appeared in court records and was reported by a West Bend newspaper.




Knoebel says he doesn?t mind getting the belated attention, if it serves to raise awareness.
?If it brings notice to people that they should be stopping for school buses, I don?t mind the notoriety,? he said.
He said he was on patrol on four-lane U.S. 45 when he was distracted by a stopped dump truck. He saw a car coming from behind and thought it might hit the truck, so he moved to pass the truck before he saw the stopped school bus in the far lane.
He said he didn?t realize he had passed the bus until it was too late.

:shock:

[SB 405]

Want my opinion?....IT'S RIDICULOUS.

[Mac]

It's a rare occurrence for me, but I'm actually at a loss for words on this one. :badgrin:

[Yzeman]

Me thinks this guy got his butt kicked daily on the ol'playground.....

[dw]

Me thinks this guy got his butt kicked daily on the ol'playground.....

Was he kicking his own butt way back then, too?

[Chippysgt]

Must be the cheese...........:rolleyes:

[PapaBear]

Absotutely redigulus. Bet he writes his own mother, wife and children.

[MotorInLA]

Yeah,

but it would be kinda fun if he took himself to court to contest the cite...

[Mac]

I'm thinking that he might be a kind of inflexible person to work for. Pure black and white, no shades of gray.......

[23112]

Yeah,

but it would be kinda fun if he took himself to court to contest the cite...

If he sits on the correct side, he'll be able to beat himself because the State won't be ready to proceed--citation dismissed!

[AspiringToBeChp]

This is kind of a weird situation.:biggrin:shock:ubt:. I wonder if he did it because somebody saw him and recognized he was the Chief of police.

[Yzeman]

Heck...there's so much here....Mel Brooks ought to write a screenplay about it.....

1. Did he notify himself that he was being investigated by the Police?
2. When he gets AA'd... who will sit on his appeal?
3. If he gets days off...does he have to turn his safety equipment in to himself?
4. If he goes 'Trial by Dec', does he actually have to write two Declarations?
5. When he wrote the citation, did he leave the 'vacation' dates blank, so he couldn't take it to court during his own vacation?
6. What is the average air speed velocity of an unladen English Sparrow?

....oh...sorry about that last one;)

[bcjack]

If he sits on the correct side, he'll be able to beat himself because the State won't be ready to proceed--citation dismissed!

If he didn't appear on the promised date....

Would a warrant be issued for Chief (The defendant) and would Chief (The issuing Officer) be disciplined for failing to appear in court???:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

[Mac]

If he didn't appear on the promised date....

Would a warrant be issued for Chief (The defendant) and would Chief (The issuing Officer) be disciplined for failing to appear in court???:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:
Will he write his own punitive package and give himself days on the beach for it? Or maybe fire himself???

[Tom]

He will obviously show up in court as the state/prosecution...because he will take his four hours of OT.

[SweetTaterPie]

Lucky he's in Wisconsin. Four points on the old DMV record in Cali within a twelve month period is an automatic suspension of privilege.

CA DMV Point-Count Table
Level III (Probation/Suspension)
The driving privilege will be suspended and an Order of Probation/Suspension will be sent to the driver under the following conditions:
Point Count Time Period:
1. 4 within 12 months
2. 6 within 24 months
3. 8 within 36 months

[Welpe]

Hmmm what happened to professional courtesey? :badgrin:

[Mac]

Hmmm what happened to professional courtesey? :badgrin:
For all those skeptics, this is proof positive that there's no such thing in law enforcement!

[bcjack]

Wisconsin Chief Praised for Ticketing Self

Call him the Dudley Do-Right of Wisconsin.

Kewaskum Police Chief Dick Knoebel doesn't care - as long as his story of giving himself a $235 ticket for a traffic violation reminds people to take care when driving around school buses.
"Police officers do good things every day and that doesn't get reported," Knoebel said. "All you hear about in the news is when a police officer is in trouble."

Maybe that's why his story sparked such a big reaction.

He wrote himself the ticket after he accidentally drove past a stopped school bus with its emergency lights flashing. He docked himself four points on his driving record and paid the fine the next day.
It happened in September but never made the news until a few weeks ago, when the fine showed up in court records and was reported by the newspaper in nearby West Bend.

After that, the story went worldwide, bringing Knoebel more than 150 congratulatory e-mails from as far away as Thailand, New Zealand and Russia.

"I tried to answer every e-mail," the chief said. "If they took the time to e-mail me, I at least thank them for their comments."

Two people sent $15 to help cover the cost of the ticket, but he wouldn't accept the money.

Knoebel, a veteran of 34 years with the force and 20 years as chief, said the attention has been a distraction, but "if it's brought about the fact people are going to pay more attention to school buses, then it's worth it."
Information from: Daily News, http://www.dailynewsol.com/ (http://www.dailynewsol.com/)

[dw]

After that, the story went worldwide, bringing Knoebel more than 150 congratulatory e-mails from as far away as Thailand, New Zealand and Russia.Wow... Only 150 people worldwide agree with him. I might just be regaining some hope for civilization after all. :tape:

[Onthejob]

...more than 150 congratulatory e-mails from as far away as Thailand, New Zealand and Russia.

"I tried to answer every e-mail," the chief said. "If they took the time to e-mail me, I at least thank them for their comments."


Amazing how happy he is to be "loved" world-wide :rolleyes: .