On the road to Damascus

For years, Damascus, Ark. (population 385) has been a notorious speed trap even though state law forbids that kind of racket. (See Arkansas Code Annotated 12-8-402 through 404.) And the prosecuting attorney in those notorious parts, Cody Hiland, has finally had enough of it. He’s told the little but well-financed town to cut it out. To be sure that the innocent townspeople aren’t denied police protection, Mr. Hiland has signed on the State Police and the local sheriffs’ deputies to patrol the town and adjacent countryside in alternating shifts.

To quote the conscientious Mr. Hiland: “The residents of the city should not be forced to endure a lack of public-safety service as a result of the police department having improperly abused its police power.” Fair enough. And it’s taken long enough for him to run out of patience. He spelled out his position in the findings he made after a careful examination and comparison of how much revenue the city was taking in over the course of two time periods. His conclusion:

“The City of Damascus Police Department is found to have abused its police power through the enforcement of criminal and traffic laws for the principal purpose of raising revenue for the municipality and not for the purpose of public safety and is subject to the sanctions provided by law.” The prosecution rests. As for the defense, it deserves and will surely get its day in court, for this case will go on. Its final outcome can safely be left to the courts, but there’s no doubt motorists passing through Damascus unimpeded will have reason to rejoice—for now.