The linked article (the Japolnik blogspam adds nothing but removes plenty -- see the original al.com article) gives a wrong impression, but this is a classic Southern small-town policing tactic of extorting outsiders. The citizens in the town love it because all of this stuff is paid for by everyone who just happens to drive through.

This should be dealt with by higher levels of government -- it is gross, rank corruption -- however higher levels of government are drunk on civil forfeiture.