The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office saw positive results from its recent monthlong campaign to crack down on motorists driving vehicles with expired license plates, Sheriff Dave Marshak said.
Throughout February, Sheriff’s Office deputies issued 290 tickets to drivers with expired license plates and 167 tickets to drivers who did not have proof of insurance. Deputies also warned 566 drivers that they needed to get their license plates up to date and 76 drivers that they needed to have proof of insurance.
“Overall, the first month of enforcement was successful and we have witnessed an increase in compliance,” Marshak said. “However, we need to continue the efforts throughout the year.”
The Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol, along with the Arnold, Byrnes Mill, Crystal City, Eureka, Festus, Herculaneum, Hillsboro and Pevely police departments, combined their efforts on Feb. 2 to kick off the enforcement campaign.
Altogether those agencies reported stopping 656 vehicles that day, with officers issuing 356 warnings and writing 286 tickets for expired license plates or tags and 80 tickets for insurance violations. The departments also seized a combined 57 expired license plates or tags, the Sheriff’s Office reported.
“This was a great example of teamwork by nearly every law enforcement agency that works in the county,” Marshak said. “It was supported by numerous media outlets that reported on the problem and our efforts.”
The Sheriff’s Office continued the crackdown throughout February.
As part of that monthlong campaign, the agency gave drivers with expired license plates an amnesty voucher they could use to reduce their fine and court costs by almost 60 percent. Spokesman Grant Bissell said the Sheriff’s Office did not know how many vouchers were given out.
Marshak said the number of tickets deputies issued throughout February highlighted the prevalence of expired license plates in Jefferson County.
“We have been seeing widespread abuse of the system for some time, but the violations were becoming more egregious,” he said. “While we continue to see violations, we are also seeing positive evidence that our efforts are working.”
Marshak said the positive impact from the enforcement campaign was emphasized in an email he received from Jefferson County Collector of Revenue Michelle Worth, who said she believed the enforcement campaign led to higher collection rates on some of the county’s old personal property bills.
Many times people don’t get their vehicle licenses renewed because they’re behind on their personal property tax bills, and those bills must be paid before their licenses may be renewed.
According to Worth’s email, the county received 43 payments for a total of $12,674.14 from the 2019 tax year, 86 payments for a total of $26,554.88 from the 2020 tax year and 735 payments for a total of $215,142.32 for the 2021 tax year.
Marshak would not say if the Sheriff’s Office would organize another countywide enforcement event or if his department would make expired license plate enforcement a priority again soon.
“Traffic enforcement is almost always about prioritizing our resources between calls, reports, investigations and our other responsibilities,” he said. “However, we also understand that traffic enforcement is critical to interdicting other crimes in progress and maintaining safety for the motoring public.”