<p>Former city attorney fed up with red-light scam:</p>
<p>[Is</a> Brooksville’s red-light program for public safety or generating revenue? - St. Petersburg Times](<a href=“http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/accidents/is-brooksvilles-red-light-program-for-public-safety-or-generating-revenue/1042580]Is”>http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/accidents/is-brooksvilles-red-light-program-for-public-safety-or-generating-revenue/1042580)</p>
<p>wdglide88, I don’t know about TPD but I have seen Code 2 before. Fast driving but no lights until a red light, then they go on for the intersection and off right after. The cop then pulled into an apartement complex for a domestic dispute.</p>
<p>and heres what happens too, after cameras are installed they tweak the light so the yellow is really short and they catch everyone in the intersection on red and ticket. Traffic cameras don’t provide any extra “safety” its just another way for the PD to raise money, along with tickets. Seems like the Police are more like tax collectors to me.</p>
<p>Looks like some cities and counties are installing the cameras based on local ordinances, not state law.</p>
<p>Counties have short budgets so they get creative. Blaming the police is like blaming the IRS. They merely enforce the laws and ordinances passed by the cities, counties, Florida Legislature and Congress.</p>
<p>Some folks are [filing</a> lawsuits](<a href=“http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/28/2881.asp]filing”>Florida: Lawsuits Challenge Red Light Camera Legality). Perhaps the best way to complain is to contact your representative.</p>
<p>I’d bet most police are against these lights because they could potentially take away some of their jobs, them getting replaced by automation. (Of course too, the additional fines help pay their salaries.)</p>
<p>I was pulled over by a cop for the first time last summer when I eased through a stop sign turning right at a police stake out. The deputy pulled me over and said to me “Looks like you had a little California roll action back there at the stop sign.” I was already shaking and after he said that I just started crying all over the place. He ended up just giving me a verbal warning and I learned a lesson. I learned what a California roll is. That was good law enforcement! These camera lights are not good law enforcement, but rather a financial rip-off.</p>
<p>I’ll take the discretion of a cop over a computer any day. Ones and zeros have little room for compassion or field judgment (yes, I know computers are programmed by humans).</p>
<p>Police departments do not get fine money - EVER. You pay county or city clerks. The only exception I know of is a $2 training surcharge on regular traffic tickets. AND this money must (via external audits) be spent on extra training for officers.</p>
<p>In fact these cameras are installed and managed by a private company. The photos have to be verified by an officer, but no real discretion is involved.</p>
<p>Again, cops don’t benefit from an arrest or a ticket. Legislators (aka politicians) make laws. Police (executive) enforce them. Judicial interprets and ultimately fines you.</p>
<p>People in college should know this. Basic separation of powers stuff here… </p>
<p>If people don’t like/want these cameras they need to speak up in the appropriate forum. I see all kinds of editorials and anonymous complaining about things like this. Speak to your council/commission as soon as you hear it may come to your town. The same effort that went into making a law is what is needed to remove a law.</p>
<p>As you may have noticed I have strong opinions on Cops getting the blame for politicians. People mistakenly blame the government when the problem is most often the politicians.</p>
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Sorry but I disagree. In small towns and municipalities, the ticket money goes right back to the police department. </p>
<p>Ask AAA or google about the Town of Sewell’s Point, Florida. They are known far and wide (thanks to AAA warnings on trip-tiks for years) for the speed “trap” they have on A1A. They make LOTS of money. The money goes to city hall alright. But city hall also contains the police dept. That money stays right in Sewell’s Point and the Public Safely Dept (police) uses that money to fund their dept. They have a fairly stable population of about 2000 folks. I am guessing they pull in $50,000 a year in traffic tickets. I think they once pulled in closer to $100,000.</p>
<p>Your right. I guess its semantics. A percentage (around 15-20%) does go back to the city, of which $2 is slated for the PD. I’m not aware of a city that passes that money on the PD. You apparently know a city that does. (However, I googled Sewall and could not confirm what you said)</p>
<p>However, I believe it would be unethical for the PD to spend that money on anything other than equipment costs for traffic enforcement. In other words, if ANYONE personally benefited (i.e., overtime $ or job contingent on tickets) it would probably be illegal. </p>
<p>And even in this case, It was the town legislators that decided to pass the money to the PD. They can undo it in a couple meetings.</p>
<p>The problem with all this is that apparently the use of such cameras is external to state traffic law. Something like this needs to pass through the Legislature.</p>