Dec 3, 2025
In parts of Southern California, the flashing lights and hum of red-light cameras have become so commonplace that they fade into the background. But what speeds through the minds of drivers is whether they’re actually serving public safety or generating revenue.
Los Alamitos, a two-square-mile city in Orange County, is where Officer Christian Cruz has made traffic enforcement his full-time mission.
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"Ultimately, this is my calling," Officer Christian Cruz told CBS News. (1) "Looking for people running red lights, unsafe speed and distracted driving.
He’s not exaggerating. During his 12-hour shifts, Cruz admits he writes at least one citation every hour, stopping 15 to 20 drivers a day — a rhythm he’s been beating for four years.
That vigilance has led to $6.9 million in tickets being issued over the past decade, according to state data. That accounts for about 3.9% of Los Alamitos’ total city revenue. In contrast, the Los Angeles Police Department employs roughly 200 traffic officers, eight times the size of Los Alamitos’ entire police force, yet tickets make up only 0.79 % of that city’s revenue.
The question now isn’t just who’s speeding, it’s whether smaller cities like Los Alamitos are becoming financially dependent on speeders and unsafe drivers.
When fines turned into funding
Some residents say the ticketing feels constant. Even though local officials say it’s about road safety, the totals shocked even police Chief Michael Claborn.
"Hearing the figure $6.9 million definitely sounds like a lot of money," Claborn said. (2)
Claborn leads a 25-person department, and only one of those officers, Cruz, focuses entirely on traffic enforcement. He maintains there’s no quota system in place.
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Across the U.S., many small towns have come to rely on fines and fees as a steady stream of local revenue. A New York Times analysis of municipal budgets, court filings and state highway data found the practice is common in communities with fewer than 30,000 residents. (3)
Los Alamitos, with a population of just under 12,000, slides into that category.
In more than 730 municipalities nationwide, fines make up at least 10% of total city revenue, which in some cases is enough to fund entire police departments.
Even so, Los Alamitos sits at one of Orange County’s busiest intersections — Katella Avenue and Los Alamitos Boulevard — where traffic from the Joint Forces Training base and Race Course pushes roughly 170,000 vehicles through each day.
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The cost of keeping roads safe
Los Angeles police sergeant Stephen Soinsky, who’s written nearly 30,000 tickets over his 28-year career, says the idea that officers write tickets solely for revenue has been around for decades.
"I've always heard someone say you can make $1 million if you set up on this intersection," Soinsky said. "I can tell you we've never written a ticket for revenue."
Los Alamitos Police Chief Michael Claborn echoes that sentiment, adding that traffic fines don’t flow directly into city accounts. Once you factor in officer pay, benefits and the cost of leasing red-light camera systems, much of that money is already allocated.
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Still, for smaller departments, those fines can make a noticeable difference in balancing the budget, and the costs ultimately trickle down to drivers. A California speeding ticket can range from $35 to $500 before additional court and administrative fees, which often double the final total. (4)
A single citation can also hit your wallet in more covert ways: Getting a ticket can raise your insurance premiums by as much as 20% a year, and that can linger for three to five years. (5) And if a ticket goes unpaid or is paid late, it can lead to license suspensions or collection notices.
That can have a ripple effect on an already costly violation. Drivers may also face demerit points on their license, which can hurt job prospects if they rely on car-heavy employment or lead to higher borrowing costs if insurers flag them as a high risk.
On the flipside, fine revenue can help fund local services for cities. But for drivers, it can spiral into a burden that far outlasts the moment they were pulled over.
"We're out here doing our due diligence and making roads safer for people," Cruz said.
Article sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.
CBS News (1, 2); The New York Times (3); Driver’s Ed (4); Wawanesa (5).
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Victoria Vesovski is a Toronto-based Staff Reporter at Moneywise, where she covers the intersection of personal finance, lifestyle and trending news. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, a postgraduate certificate in Publishing from Toronto Metropolitan University and a Master’s degree in American Journalism from New York University’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. Her work has been featured in publications including Apple News, Yahoo Finance, MSN Money, Her Campus Media and The Click.
