Chicago’s first red-light cameras were installed in 2003. Today, there are about 50 positioned at intersections throughout the city, with more cameras on the way. This is not including other government and police cameras placed through-out the city. Over 2,000 all together.

The vast majority of the 210,000 people who received red-light camera tickets between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31 simply paid the $90 fine without protest. But of the ones who tried to beat the rap, 90 percent failed, according to figures from the city’s Department of Revenue.

“You can’t beat these tickets,” Chicago Police Officer Clyde Hudson said after he pleaded his own case, where a photo of his car going through a red light to avoid a rear-end accident was mailed to his residence, this past week during an administrative hearing at 400 W. Superior. “This is just a way for the city to make money.”

More than 6,000 people who were ticketed between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31 requested an in-person hearing before an administrative law officer, who weighs vehicle owners’ testimony against photos and video footage of the alleged violations. Only 9 percent of those people were found not liable, according to the city’s figures.

Just a handful of defenses will work, such as proving that a vehicle was stolen or leased to another person at the time of the offense, said city Law Department spokeswoman Jennifer Hoyle.

But red-light tickets can’t be challenged on the basis that the vehicle owner wasn’t driving, because the courts have upheld the legality of other ordinances that hold people responsible for offenses committed with their property.

Yet, the lack of a gray area when it comes to who is found liable makes Nicole Watson, of Oak Park, see red.

Watson contested her ticket, because she said the photos that were mailed to her home show her going through a light that looks yellow, not red.

“In the picture, my tail light is red, but the light is clearly yellow,” Watson said. “It’s frustrating because that’s their evidence, but the evidence doesn’t support the claim.”

$12.5 million in fines collected.

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A report by a town committee in Swampscott, Massachusetts recommends against red light cameras on the grounds of safety. A committee established to determine whether Swampscott, Massachusetts should install red light cameras concluded Monday that the devices were not suitable for the town.

“The limited number of angle crashes, combined with the likelihood that RLCs increase rear-end crashes, led the committee to conclude that the installation of RLCs is contra-indicated at all signalized intersections in Swampscott. Strictly on the basis of public safety, the committee recommends against the use of RLCs in Swampscott.”

On the positive side, the committee did find that red light cameras did not endanger privacy and that they could generate up to $490,000 in revenue in the first year. The report also discusses a number of engineering changes, including lengthened yellow warning times, that could improve safety without any downsides.

But the selectmen are pushing forward with an attempt to install the red light cameras despite the town meeting vote and a committee recomendation against their use. A town meeting will be held on November 13 where officials will make a second attempt to sell residents on the proposal.

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And Part 2

In Winnipeg, Canada automated red light camera citations must be signed by a police officer to be valid. This does not mean, however, that a live officer personally reviews and signs each $160 CAD ticket. Instead, the city’s private contractor, Affiliated Computer Services (ACS) digitally adds the signature without the need of for a personal review by a law enforcement official.

Further inquiries by the paper revealed that a substantial number of tickets that week in November were never issued because the machine that prints the officer’s signature broke down. Instead of having a live officer review and sign each photo, the tickets were dropped.

This was all discovered during an investigation on why the city’s Mayor was never fined for for a photo of his wife driving his car through a red light.

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The city of Capitola, California admits that it issued at least $9525 in bogus red light camera citations this month. The Santa Cruz Superior Court notified the police that their failure to review citations issued by red light camera vendor ATS allowed 25 duplicate citations, each worth $381, to be issued.

This was not the first time the city has allowed improper citations. In January, the city had allowed 134 citations worth $51,054 to be issued despite the lack of required information on the ticket. In December, an ambulance driver had to go to court to have a ticket reversed even though the photograph clearly showed his emergency lights were active.

Other cities in Santa Cruz County are now exploring the possibility of using photo enforcement. Superior Court Assistant Executive Officer Roy Blaine explained to the Sentinel that these cities are looking to expand their budgets with cameras.

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The [Arlington, Texas] Police Department got the green light Tuesday to install cameras at 10 of the city’s most dangerous intersections. The cameras will photograph red-light runners, and eventually, police hope, cut down on fatal accidents, Police Chief Theron Bowman told the City Council.

The cameras will be operational by February, police said.

Since 2003, red-light violations have led to six fatalities and 1,508 collisions in Arlington, police said.

Several other Texas cities have implemented red-light cameras, such as Garland, Plano, Richardson, Rowlett and Frisco.

Bedford, North Richland Hills, Dallas, University Park, McKinney and Farmers Branch are also considering the idea.

Each camera would lead to 20 citations per day, Bowman said, with net revenue expected to exceed $3.8 million.

Garland installed the cameras at four intersections in 2003. Since then, crashes related to red-light violations have declined by 50 percent. (Texas Transportation Institute study says otherwise)

Bowman also said the Federal Highway Administration reports a 25 percent average decrease in crashes after installation of photo traffic enforcement systems. (That’s just FALSE!)

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