Baltimore’s city fleet is driving up a tab it mostly is not paying. More than 4,000 traffic citations were issued to city-owned vehicles last year, adding up to roughly $452,000 in fines, yet most of that money was either waived or never collected. Many of those tickets were tied to police vehicles, a pattern that has residents and taxpayer advocates demanding clearer rules and real accountability.
How the tally adds up
City records show 4,088 traffic citations in 2025 that totaled about $452,000 in fines, with the majority of those penalties ultimately waived, according to reporting from The Baltimore Sun. The Sun found that Baltimore Police Department vehicles accounted for the largest share of those violations, with 2,717 citations valued at roughly $373,585. That figure included 1,905 speeding citations and 406 red-light violations, according to the outlet’s review of the data.
Police response and department rules
Responding to questions from local reporters, the Baltimore Police Department said citations are waived only when officers are operating with lights and sirens. BPD spokesperson Lindsey Eldridge told FOX45 that in all other situations, officers must personally pay the fine and may also face discipline under department policy. The department did not release a public breakdown of how many waivers were tied to emergency responses versus other circumstances.
Taxpayer watchdogs push back
For taxpayer advocates, the explanation has not put concerns to rest. David Williams, president of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, said the pattern looks like “an abuse of the system” and warned that both the lost revenue and the optics of unpaid government tickets undermine public trust, FOX45 reported. Williams told reporters the problem is not just about the city’s bottom line but also about public safety, and he called for tighter oversight of how the city manages its vehicle fleet.
State context: why the fines matter
Beyond the budget hit, unpaid and waived citations can weaken the deterrent effect of the very enforcement tools meant to curb speeding and reckless driving. Maryland adopted a tiered penalty schedule for automated enforcement last year, increasing fines for the most serious violations, a change that raises the policy stakes for how consistently citations are collected and enforced, according to Maryland Matters.
What comes next
City watchdogs and fiscal overseers could push for more detailed public records spelling out which waivers were approved and why, as residents continue to press officials on transparency and accountability. Other agencies, including the Department of Public Works, Department of Transportation and the mayor’s office, also appeared in the reporting with a significant number of violations, a detail first highlighted by The Baltimore Sun.
