Proposed $105 Traffic Violation Fee Would Fund Increased Nassau Police Presence [POLL]

County Executive Ed Mangano’s proposed 2017 budget looks to tack an additional $105 fee on all parking and traffic violations to pay for an increased police presence in Nassau County.

The “Public Safety Fee” looks to raise $64 million to account for increased police patrols, 911 operations, the formation of special units and anti-terror operations.

Crime in Nassau County has decreased by 24 percent since 2010, according to the proposed budget. Despite the low crime rate, Mangano says these additional fees are necessary to keep residents safe. “Residents should take comfort in these actions,” he said.

“The unprecedented times in which we live require an increase in our police force to protect the safety and welfare of our residents and will reduce overtime costs in policing public events,” Mangano said in a statement to Patch.

The “unprecedented times” may refer to the intentionally detonated improvised device that went off in the busy Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan Saturday night, injuring at least 29 people. The man linked to the NYC and Jersey Shore bombings is now in custody.

There have been no specific threats made to Nassau County.

• Since there are no threats made to Nassau County, are the increased patrols necessary? Sound off in the comments below.

The fees to fund the increased patrols would be collected from non-residents while not increasing taxes, which Mangano says is good news for homeowners.

But what do Nassau County residents think? Adding a $105 price tag to all traffic violations in Nassau County would double the cost of many of violations. The cost of an expired meter violation in Nassau County is $115 (a $105 charge and $10 surcharge), according to Nassau County's website. With the “Public Safety Fee,” the price would soar to a possible $220.

AAA New York thinks the additional fee is a “horrible idea,” says manager of media relations, Robert Sinclair, Jr.

"Ticket fees and surcharges are meant to deter bad behavior," Sinclair told Patch. At this point, he says the current fees do just that. “Paying $300 for a parking ticket is really insane," he said.

Being a driver on Long Island is hard enough with high surcharges and fees, but motorists always seem to be the first option to be hit with additional fees when a municipality has financial issues, Sinclair says.

“Motorists aren’t a bottomless pit of money,” he said.

Do you agree with the proposed $105 traffic violation fee? Take our poll:

The same workers who would be issuing the tickets would also benefit from the violations.

“It puts police in a terrible position and would undermine public confidence,” Sinclair said.

The AAA New York spokesman believes it would look like police are funding themselves by issuing the violations.

Do you think cops would be more liberal with traffic violations if it directly affected their pay, or is this “Public Safety Fee” a better option than taxing residents outright for the increased police presence?

Sinclair said Nassau County's Traffic & Parking Violations Agency is "swimming in cash" and probably already has the money to pay for new police hires.

Let us know what you think of the proposed fee below!

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