Citizen buys police internet domain to fight red light cameras

This week's Amateur Radio Newsline has a wonderful item on how one citizen has taken communications with public officials to a new height. This, by purchasing the Internet domain name of the police department whose red light camera issued him a ticket.

Most of the time, if you or I get a speeding ticket we just grumble about it and pay the fine. Oh we can fight it in court but for most people those are the only two options.

However, after receiving a $90 speeding ticket in Bluff City, Tennessee, Brian McCrary discovered a third.

It seems that the Bluff City Police Department had forgotten to renew its Internet domain name of BluffCityPD dot com. It had expired so McCrary bought the domain for $80.
He then posted his side of the story along with information about speed traps in Bluff City and the $250,000 per month the system was costing the town’s 1,500 residents.

The police department had no idea their domain name had expired and that McCrary owned it. That was until October 8th when reporters started calling them to ask about it.

Bluff City Police Chief David Nelson said the city may approach McCrary about buying the domain back from him, but admits Chief Nelson, the city is not very optimistic that a deal can be made.


Bruce Tennent, K6PZW
Amateur Radio Newsline

McCrary says that his goal is to get enough attention to put pressure on the local government to remove the traffic enforcement cameras in Bluff City.

See: http://www.bluffcitypd.com/

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