Shepherdsville may soon be sending some drivers a bill. The city council is expected to pass an ordinance that would force non-residents who cause an accident, to pay Shepherdsville for the time police spend on the accident investigation and report.
Under the new ordinance, if the at-fault driver is not a resident of Shepherdsville, they will be billed $40.95 an hour.
Not all Shepherdsville residents support the new ordinance. But another police cost-recouping ordinance that goes into effect December 1, one that would force convicted criminals to cover the time spent by Shepherdsville police on investigating and showing up in court, is more strongly supported by residents. It will be the first law of its kind in Kentucky:
Chief of the Shepherdsville police says forcing criminals and out of town drivers to pay for police work is no different than people paying for ambulance and fire services they need.
Shepherdsville has 19 police officers and about 12,000 residents.
The money collected will go into the city's general fund, not directly to the police department.
Charging criminals for investigation time is new, but charging for government services is not.
In Bullitt County, jail inmates must pay a $25 booking fee and $25 after that for every day they spend behind bars.