Rossville, Kansas Speed Traps

Rossville Kansas is a speed trap town. Hwy 24 runs through the middle of town and since there are zero reasons to stop, the main industry to support the town is writing tickets. Tickets are written to unsuspecting out of town travelers or Kansas State students. Local police take advantage of motorists by exploiting the law, writing tickets at middle of nowhere, abrupt speed limit transition areas. Rossville is just another town supporting itself with bad faith tickets that erode trust in law enforcement. The court is located in the town and is also supported by the ticket revenue, so the conflict of interest makes justice impossible. Unfortunately since you can’t go around the town, it’s best just to avoid hwy 24 west of Topeka and take the turnpike.

The trap is set at the west end of town, traveling west, the officer sits just before the 50 mph sign. Drivers ride their brakes all the way through town to maintain compliance with the 30 mph speed limit. Most drivers lift their foot off the brake when they see the 50 mph sign and are pulled over just past the 50 mph sign for going over 30 mph. In order to qualify for the towns deferral program the drivers speed can’t be more than 19 mph over the limit, so magically most tickets are written for approximately 45 mph in a 30. It’s roughly a $300. ticket with $100. going to the towns deferral program. the program is really given the hard sell by the officers and the Chief of police. Everyone just pays the ticket after realizing there is no way to get a fair hearing given the situation.

Apparently there are no protections or oversight for Kansas towns exploiting the law for profit. The Governor, Attorney General and Kenny Titus, the area senator, all have a hands off policy.

30 mph through town but anything over 30 until after the 50 mph sign and you are ticketed. The officers sell the diversion program to make a additional $100. for the town. The court is located in the town so no chance of winning.

I am used to the speed traps – I go through the town at least once a day. My knuckles are white as I clutch my steering wheel. I am watching my speedometer instead of the road because I can’t afford to make another extortion payment. I have to downshift and waste gas to maintain the irrationally slower-than-bicycle "legal" speeds. It is 11:00 at night. I know I am a target because there are no other cars around, and there are no flashing lights visible in any direction (rare indeed).

Suddenly I spot the police car. It is in my mirror, all lit up like a Christmas tree. License and registration. What crime did I commit this time? The Rossville Policeman said my "tag lights are out". I got out to check. My tag lights were not out – the were fully functional on both sides of the license plate. But the plate was covered with road dirt since it had rained the night before and I have to drive on gravel roads to get between work and my house north of town.

When I told this story the next day at work, a woman there told me that her son had recently been stopped in Rossville 6 times in one week driving several different vehicles, each of which supposedly had one or more lights not functioning properly. Beware, weary travelers. Keeping to the snail-pace speed limits in Rossville may not be enough to keep you safe from flashing lights and heart attacks in the night.

Whether you enter the town from the north or south using Carlson Road, or from the east or west on Highway 24, if you don’t already see flashing lights as you approach town, you are probably the next one the omnipresent highwaymen are targeting. Speed limits on these roads are set outrageously and unnaturally slow at 30mph and 20mph and State, County and City Police all converge on this 2 mile cross to farm revenue from unsuspecting travelers. They typically hide their vehicles behind buildings and in parking lots, and even well off the pavement behind natural cover. They are also looking to nab you for not stopping at stop signs long enough, for seat belt "violations" and even for wearing earphones. It is time for the citizens of Rossville to put a stop to this embarrassment by forcing city officials to put realistic speed limits at least on the main access roads and stop harassing law abiding travelers.

The Rossville police now have authority to issue citations in Willard. Town is population of 80. Goes from 50 MPH to 30. No reason for it there are no large roads or intersections. Rossville police or county sits in church parking lot just south of bridge.