Santee, South Carolina Speed Traps

Memo sent out by Santee police in State paper asking for more tickets for speeding and following to close to be written. According to article They would rather write you a local ticket so the town can keep most of your cash. My advice would be don’t speed or stop for gas anywhere near this area. Deny income,slow down.
Article link from 5/17/19 here – https://www.thestate.com/news/local/crime/article230532879.html#storylink=topdigest_latest

Saturday afternoon 14 April 2018 I was travelling northbound on I-95 , I saw 6 vehicles pulled over at one time in various locations on I-95 southbound between Exit 97 and Exit 98. I continued off I-95into Santee via Exit 98 and proceeded down 6 highway there was another officer running radar on 6 highway by the church going towards Elloree (The police sit there when not on I-95… It goes from 45-35 in a dip there and you cant see the police car entering Santee from Elloree until its too late. A relative got pulled over the other evening after entering I-95 northbound via exit 98 and merged into traffic. A vehicle travelling at the same speed slowed down and pulled behind him before getting to the Lake Marion bridge. He had to wait until he got to the other side of the bridge before stopping to avoid an accident. He was ticketed. I travel the 95 corridor and Santee and Summerton Police are constantly pulling folks over at Exit 108. Santee, SC has a population of around 740. Summerton, SC has a population of around 1,000. Neither police department is accredited and the Municipal Judge is the wife of a former local police chief.

Eloree/Santee
State Police and Deputy Sheriff units sit in the median under the overpass. Units are there watching South bound and North bound lanes of I-95 almost daily.

Officer parks in unmarked car just west of church, just over top of a hill on a downward slope, on westbound side in a 35 mph zone within site of the 45 mph sign at bottom of hill, where a convenient pull-over spot has been created. Similar situations exist on the outskirts of many small towns in this part of SC, where speed limits descend from 50 or 60 mph to 30 mph or even 25 mph over short distances in places where little or no change occurs in the rural character of the roadside environment. Special care should be taken at evening rush hours in these places.

Speed limit is 35 mph through town. As you exit town it stays at 35 down a grade. You can see the 55 mph sign halfway up the grade. When you start to accelerate the patrol car nails you for exceeding 35 mph. Once again this is strictly a city money making deal. They stop you for speeding and tell you what a break they’re giving you for giving you a "careless driving" ticket. Cost of ticket is $174. But the patrol man said if you appear in court the fine will be reduced. I asked to see device that indicated I was speeding and was told I’m not allowed to see it. I requested a review of the calibration of the device and once again I was told I’m not allowed to see it. Beware of this money making small town. A tourist trap off the interstate big time.