Charges leave Mo. town without police force
Copyright 2010 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Posted: 05/24/2012
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By: 41 Action News Staff
LANAGAN, Mo. - A small town in Missouri is without a police force after its officers were charged with allegedly cheating the state out of thousands of dollars.
The town of Lanagan in McDonald County only has two officers, including the police chief.
Both are charged with forging traffic citations and submitting false reports.
According to court documents, their actions helped the town avoid having to pay tens of thousands of dollars to the state.
"Cities have to report where their tickets come from - either city streets or state highways,” explained Jonathan Pierce, the McDonald County prosecutor. “If the tickets come from state highways, there is a certain formula the state uses, and the state is entitled to a certain portion of that revenue."
The town’s attorney said this all may be a misunderstanding.
But in the meantime, both officers have been suspended.
The McDonald County Sheriff's Department is currently helping with enforcement.
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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