Eric Pfeiffer

In a small Georgia town, sagging pants have provided a boost to the sagging economy. A year ago, low-hanging jeans and shorts in the small town of Albany, Georgia had become such a problem that residents agreed to a ban sagging, defined as letting pants hang “more than three inches below the hips,” enforced by a $25 fine:

Now, nearly a year after the ban was put into effect, Albany, Ga., reports that it is turning into a tidy little money maker: The city is on track to collect more than $5,500 under it by year’s end.

Since the prohibition became law Nov. 23, there have been at least 187 citations issued by law enforcement officers in Albany, the ninth-biggest city in Georgia with a population of 77,000. The citations have raked in about $4,000 and are expected to pull in about $1,500 more before the end of the year, according to the Albany Herald.

And the $25 fine is only for first time sagging. Repeat offenders can be fined up to $200 and those who cannot pay are required to perform community service. Critics of the ban say it both violates free speech rights and is racist, arguing the fines tend to target African Americans. Similar bans are already in place in another Georgia town as well cities in Florida, Illinois and Michigan.