MADISONVILLE-While six months probably isn't enough time to get a full reading of how effective the Madisonville Police Department's speed camera is, it has shown one thing. Madisonville residents are paying attention.

"Of the tickets that are being written by the camera now," Madisonville Police Chief Gregg Breeden said, "80 percent of them are written to non-Madisonville addresses. And that's all Madisonville addresses, not just the ones in town. People who live here are aware of the camera and know to slow down when they see the sign saying it's on the side of the road."

Since the camera went into use in April, 2778 tickets have been written. Only 65 of those have been tossed out, usually because the picture of the tag was obscured.

"People usually know what they did," Breeden said. "They'll complain about the ticket, but it's very rare that they contest it."

The tickets are $50 each, but aren't put on your insurance record. So far, the city's share of the tickets has brought in $52,646, leading some to claim the camera is nothing more than a money grab by the town.

See full story in the Wednesday, Dec. 26, edition of The Advocate & Democrat.