WAFF.com: North Alabama News, Radar, Weather, Sports and Jobs-For many across the Valley, Rogersville is known as a speed trap

For many across the Valley, Rogersville is known as a speed trap

Rogersville, Alabama. For many across the Valley, it's known as a speed trap.

The WAFF 48 News investigators found one officer who says they're told to only pull over out-of-towners.

We've uncovered some alarming numbers that support that claim.

Officer Scott Quinnelly says he was put on administrative leave after giving a fellow officer a DUI.

The city claims he was put on leave for removing a light bar from his car.

But what is undisputed is the evidence we found giving credence to allegations of a speed trap along Highway 72.

Hundreds of cars pass through Rogersville every day. Some heading towards Florence for the University of North Alabama. Others to their lake houses for a little R&R.

Whatever the reason, out-of-towners enter what many have called a "speed trap" for years.

"Everybody was complaining about the speed trap in Rogersville," says Chief Ty Barrett who took office 5 years ago. "When I got here they did work a lot of traffic. What I'm trying to do is cover all the bases."

Those "bases", according to one officer, include a directive from the city's top leader: the mayor.

"He has made a statement that we leave the town folks alone. Just get out of town folks," says Officer Quinnelly.

Chief Barrett says he's neither given or been given such an order.

The WAFF 48 News Investigators asked Chief Barrett.

"If, though, you were going to give a break to somebody would you say give the break to'in towners?'"

The chief answered, "Sure."

He also says "I've probably made this comment before because I had an officer that was stopping everybody that went through the stop sign for no tag light and I thought that was just a little bit nit-picky. Because nobody else was doing that and I had to look it up to make sure that he could do that," Barrett said.

Disposition logs from November 16th to December 13th reveal 21 out of town drivers were issued speeding tickets. Only one driver with a Rogersville address was given a ticket during that time.

December 16th through January 26th shows approximately triple that amount. 68 drivers were given speeding tickets, only 7 of those were from Rogersville.

Chief Barrett's reaction to these numbers? He says Highway 72 is the busiest road through Rogersville and most of those drivers are just passing through.

"We're a small community. We all live together. We all work together, we go to church together," says Barrett.

But that's no consolation to those "just passing through."

Rogersville Mayor Harold Chandler says he has never made the statement Scott Quinnelly accused him of.

In fact, he claims he tells officers even he is not immune to getting a speeding ticket.