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I was under the impression that local governments were implementing red light cameras for safety purposes. Isn’t that what we were lead to believe when these Big Brother elements were introduced by Gwinnett cities? Well, now that ticket revenues are on the decline, Gwinnett cities are ready to scrap the devices.
Duluth, Lilburn, Norcross, Snellville and Suwanee have either suspended use of the cameras or plan to stop the service altogether.
City officials agree the cameras, which monitor and record red-light violations, are working. Violations, accidents and injuries are down. But so are citations, which help pay for the automated ticketing program that can cost some cities more than $400,000 a year to Norcross-based LaserCraft.
So, I guess if a city does not make money from the Big Brother devices, they are willing to forego the safety benefits. Don’t get me wrong. I have been opposed to these cameras since day one. No, I have never been cited by one - I stop for red lights! - and I can certainly see how it would make drivers more careful at monitored intersections. However, the idea that I can be ticketed for someone else who might be driving my car is absurd.
When did the police department become a profit center for government? Granted, there has been strong suspicion that some municipal police departments are often little more than revenue collection agencies, but this story leaves little doubt. Such motivation is even more reason that the Georgia General Assembly should enact legislation that bans cities under a certain population from having a local police department. At a minimum, legislators should address how revenues from traffic enforcement are used. The direct link between enforcement efforts and revenue should be broken. If it were, I think we would see just how many city speed traps are motivated by safety.
