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Henderson: City Council should pull the plug on red-light cameras

 
The City of Tampa will consider the new contract for red-light cameras with American Traffic Solutions later this month.
The City of Tampa will consider the new contract for red-light cameras with American Traffic Solutions later this month.
Published Sept. 12, 2016

By now, we're all aware of those unblinking eyes known as red light cameras, standing guard over some busy intersections in the city and county.

They are designed to catch drivers who don't care that red means "stop." Whenever someone complains, defenders of the cameras have always had a fallback position: They make us safer.

Well, it's easy enough to accept that argument and let it go, right? We all want to be safe.

But could someone please explain to me why the number of cities using the scofflaw-catching devices keeps decreasing? Explain why right here in our own little corner of paradise, the cities of St. Petersburg, Temple Terrace and Gulfport pulled the plug?

It's because a lot of people see the cameras as a cash grab by cities or, as State Sen. Jeff Brandes of St. Petersburg has often phrased it, a backdoor tax. I think Brandes is right.

So, later this month it's Tampa's turn to decide if the cameras stay or go. The City Council is expected to consider whether to ratify a new contract with American Traffic Solutions, the company that installed 54 cameras in various parts of town.

Mayor Bob Buckhorn loves these things. That may actually understate it a bit. The mayor is an unflinching champion of the cameras. He will strongly favor ratifying the new contract with ATS.

Just so we're clear, I hate them.

More on that in a bit.

But what really matters is the story by Christopher O'Donnell of the Times, which says the measure faces an uphill battle to get past a skeptical council — starting with council member Yvonne Yolie Capin. She told the Times, "City after city has taken them down. There is a reason. They all tried it and it didn't work."

That, citizens, is the crux of the argument.

Before you ask, no, I have never gotten one of those "violation" notices in the mail for running a red light. Plenty of people have, though, and they are faced with a deal that sounds an awful lot like extortion to me.

They can either pay the $158 fine and be done with it, with no points added to their driving record, or they can roll the dice and challenge it in court. Better win, though, because the fine can spike significantly if you lose.

The camera also has no way of telling who is driving the car at the time of the alleged violation. The person to whom the car is registered is presumed have been behind the wheel. And it also presumes that the yellow caution light remained for the full time mandated by a state formula.

But, some say, the cameras save lives by reducing the number of crashes at intersections. Doesn't that trump everything?

It would, maybe, if that could be proven.

The numbers don't support that, though. A report earlier this year from the Tampa Police Department showed a 39 percent increase in intersection crashes in the city from 2010, the last year before cameras were installed.

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Then there is this: The cameras are big business. They bring in about $2 million a year to the city after the state gets its cut and ATS is paid up to $4,400 a month per camera. That amount could increase by up to $75,000 a year if the council approves a renegotiated contract.

So is this about safety or money?

Because if it's about safety, I'll tell you what, a visible motorcycle cop or two at targeted intersections would have a much stronger impact than cameras. What's more, we're already paying for that cop on a bike.

Add it up and the conclusion should be obvious. Pull the plug.

Contact Joe Henderson at joehtampa@gmail.com