Gentlemen, start your engines. Twenty-six years and 150,000 traffic tickets later, Rock Hill's rainmaker is hanging up his radar gun. You heard right folks, Officer Ronald Zeigler will soon write his final speeding citation. To be more precise, you have until his shift ends at 7 p.m. on October 20 to get his autograph, and he'll only be too happy to oblige.
With Zeigler riding into the sunset -- or at least to his home in Marthasville (the site of Daniel Boone's original grave) -- the city's coffers may never be as full again, and most assuredly, Manchester Road will never move as gingerly again.
"He's an institution," marvels city administrator George Liyeos.
"He's the man," exclaims Mayor Julie Morgan.
"He was the highest monthly performer we ever had," boasts Rock Hill Police Chief Paul Arnett, who runs the ten-man department.
Zeigler, a folksy, good-humored, dog-loving man from Coffeyville, Kansas, is the Cal Ripken of ticket writing. Never misses a day, has an unparalled work ethic, keeps himself and motorcycle in fine working order, and, as a result, has chalked up some damn impressive statistics.
On a good day, Zeigler will write up to 60 tickets and barely break a sweat. He's got a lifetime average of nailing some 420 motorists a month.
City officials say it's just not possible to put a number on how much money Zeigler has generated.
Confides Mayor Morgan: "It's above seven figures."
Zeigler's ticket-writing prowess has, fairly or not, given the St. Louis suburb of 5,000 residents a regional reputation as something of a speed trap.
The 67-year-old cop, who spent a dozen years as a patrolman in Brentwood before becoming a bane to Rock Hill motorists, admits that image will likely linger, but insists he'll only issue a ticket to anyone traveling in excess of ten miles over the speed limit. On Manchester, his primary haunt, that means going at least 40 miles an hour.
Rock Hill's Legendary (Infamous) Ticket-Writing Traffic Cop Set to Retire Radar Gun
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