Cottondale, Florida Speed Traps

This weekend I was traveling home to Virginia from Panama City, FL. I had to go through Cottondale to get to 85 North. I had been traveling with the same group of cars for the last half hour. We came into the town together, I stayed behind them the whole time and never passed anyone and then we left the town together. The entire time we went 40 mph all together and never above. When leaving the town, I look up to see I have cop lights in my rear view mirror and I’m being pulled over.

I never sped the entire time, I was with the same group of cars when we entered the town and the same group when we left, still in the same position which was in the back of the pack.
Officer O___ comes up to my car and asks for license and registration and NEVER asks "Sir, do you understand why I am pulling you over today?"
So I hand him my license and registration and as he starts to walk back to his patrol car as he mumbles to me that he caught me going 53 in the 35 and he doesn’t offer me any explanation of where he clocked me. We are in the 65mph zone at this point.
When he returns, he stops at the back of my car and bends forward and reaches out from as far away as possible to hand the ticket to me and tells me if I have any questions to call the number on the ticket. At this time, I had questions for him and I told him this and that I would like to discuss this with him as I know I never sped. The officer responds (as he is walking to his car with his back to me) by once again telling me to call the number on the ticket.
This is SO BLATANLY WRONG AND OFFICER O___ IS A CROOKED COP!!!!! There are at least 3 message boards with complaints on just him and what he is doing. I have not had a speeding ticket in 10 years, and for this prick to abuse his power the way he is doing and taking advantage of people out of town is JUST WRONG AND UNMORAL.

I never went over 40mph and he gave me a ticket saying I went 53 in the 35, and he pulled me over in the 65mph zone!!!
If you do your research, you will find multiple message boards about Officer O___. He is a bad person and what he is doing will come back around to him! Karma baby!!!

This town has a CPL O— who hides just past the 35 mph sign and radars, or in my case “paced my speed” and will almost always right a citation for 20 mph or higher so the town can get the maximum amount for the citation. The chief nor city officials will not do anything to change this due to the obvious revenue for the town of 1000. They know they can make plenty off of Georgia and Alabama residence coming and leaving the beach. I have found that he likes to watch the south bound traffic near the weekends and the northbound at the first part of the weeks. Catch them coming or going to the beach is their goal.

My daughter was following a police car doing the speed limit of 35. She passed a gas station and noticed Officer _ outside another police car, pumping gas. About one minute later she was pulled over by this officer, who had a young civilian riding the in the front seat with him. He told her he had her on radar doing 56 mph. She was flabbergasted but I had always told her not to argue. I wish she had asked to see the radar but now it’s too late. I have heard from many others who have experienced the same treatment. The ticket is $281.00 and there is nothing I can do except pay and complain, which I intend to do.

Cottondale Police CPT pulled me over because I didn’t have both hands on my handle bars and they where over my shoulder blades. I told him that they were not over my shoulders and I removed my hand to make a hand signal. I sat back on my bike and told him to look at my handle bars and he said that I was slouching and that I cannot challenge this. I tried to have him take a photo with me but he refused and drove off after giving me a $116.00 ticket. I went to the police station to complain about this but it was in a double wide trailer and they only have two cops in town. I took my photos and plan on taking him to court.

I travel to PCB frequently so I am very familiar with Cottondale’s speed limit going from 65, 55, 45, 35, within a very short distance so I am very careful going through there.

Sunday I was pulled over by CPL (Name omitted) and was speechless when he said I was going 55 in a 35. First of all, I would never go 20 over the limit, much less with my trooper husband and 12 yr old in the car.

When I asked to see the radar he informed me that he didn’t clock me with radar but paced me.

To make a long story short, if I was in the 35 zone and he was in the 35 zone, he didn’t have adequate time to pace me as I pulled over right past the posted speed limit. I plan to use this as my defense.

I had a hunch about CPL (Name omitted) and decided to do an internet search. You guessed it, all sorts of complaints.

I have made calls to the police chief, court, and other offices. Not surprisingly, I was told by several people(who wish to remain anonymous) that complaint after complaint comes in on CPL (Name omitted).

It’s a shame when a bad officer gives such a bad reputation to the dept. However, these types usually end up hanging themselves.

If you don’t complain, don’t contest it, it will continue to happen