Lake Tapawingo, Missouri Speed Traps

The Lake Tapawingo cop (they only have one) likes to harass motorists on US 40, usually on the eastbound side. He has a grey Dodge Charger and he usually parks in the entrance to Blue Springs Lake (on the south side of US 40), but I have also seen him parked in the driveway of the electrical substation that is a little bit east of there (south side), or next to the cars for sale at Asset Auto (north side). I see him more often at night. He may be working the westbound side during the day, but I don’t know that for sure.

Lake Tapawingo annexed this part of US 40 about a year ago, purely for revenue purposes. After they annexed it, they started enforcing a 45 MPH speed limit, even though it was posted for 55 MPH. Once this made the front page of the Kansas City Star, MoDOT came out and hung up a 55 MPH sign at the new city limits.

Lake Tapingwingo 1 mile south of I-70 only on the south or west side of Woods Chapel Road. They will stop you for anything even slightly over the 35 mph speed. No front tags even on a new car with temp tags. Court cost is $75 even if the ticket is dismissed.

The Lake Tapawingo Police Department sits at two different entrances to their small, private community. They will write you tickets for no front license plate, a headlight out, or just about any small violation. Be careful!

A short stretch of southbound Woods Chapel Road just south of the railroad tracks. The northbound stretch of Woods Chapel is in Blue Springs so he can’t stop those people. The Lake Tapawingo cop chases his victims into Blue Springs to give them speeding tickets. He will stop and ticket people for doing just one mph over the limit. The cop drives an old gray Jeep without any visable markings that he parks at a stop sign in plain sight.