'Photo Cops' Could Write Automated Tickets to Generate Money for Detroit Public Schools

Michigan Capitol Confidential ^ | 12/15/2016 | Tom Gantert

[MichCapCon]

The Michigan Senate has passed a bill that would allow the Detroit public school system to hire a company to install and operate an automated traffic citation system — known as “photo cop.”

The legislation, Senate Bill 852, sponsored by Sen. Bert Johnson, D-Detroit, was passed following an unusual procedure in which it was discharged from the Senate Transportation Committee directly to the full Senate without a vote by the committee.

Senate Bill 852 would permit Detroit school buses to have cameras installed to capture images of motorists who illegally pass a stopped school bus. Fines for violations would range from $300 to $1,000 depending on the number of offenses. The bill also allows the district to add a $100 late fee if the original ticket is not paid by the due date. The money would go to the Detroit public school district.

Under a constitutional “five day” rule, Tuesday is the earliest the House could take up the bill in the current lame duck-session.

Senate Bill 852 was passed by a 34-3 vote, with the only ‘no’ votes coming from Republicans Patrick Colbeck, Tori Rocca and Jim Stamas. It has been referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, chaired by Rep. Ben Glardon, R-Owosso.

State law currently prohibits automated ticket writing. MCL 257.742(1) requires traffic tickets to be issued by a police officer who actually witnesses the violation.

[2banana]

This will definitely impact minorities and women harder...

[\/\/ayne]

Oh, don’t get ripped off by that company. They’ll just shorten the yellows and then mostly take all the money themselves. Wake up, gullible city councilmen. Those bribes won’t last forever.

[Mr. K]

WITH ALL THE TAX MONEY ALREADY COLLECTED WHY DO “THE SCHOOLS” STILL NEED TO GO BEGGING???

[Buckeye McFrog]

Cause the important thing about school busses being passed is the revenue. Not the fact that children are going to be run-over.

[Blue Jays]

This sounds like a "solution" to a "problem" that does not actually exist.
In my decades of driving I have NEVER seen a motorist illegally pass a school bus.

[Jim W N]

Let the miserable government brainwashing schools die and stop forcing taxes to pay for them. Give localities and parents the choice to pay for and educate their children as they see fit. Soon we’d actually have an educated populace rather than a mindlessly indoctrinated populace.

[mom4melody]

This was tried in Cleveland. The voters kicked it to the curb.

I got 4 tickets in 2 weeks lol

[wally_bert]

The identities of dead kids also make a great source of easy democrat voters.

However, the scammed revenue comes first.

[Fido969]

When this idea is put to the voters, they overwhelmingly reject it. This is a perfect example of government for government’s sake.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

Don’t worry. As Detroit sinks further into economic chaos, people will give up cars and revert to walking and donkey-drawn carts. None of them will be going fast enough to be charged by these Red light scameras.

[Mopp4]

Boggles my mind.....so in order for this to work and raise money for the schools, people MUST violate the law by passing a school bus with the red lights on. If everybody obeys the law, they collect ZERO for the schools.

So do it for the "chilren".....illegally pass a bus today !

[Blue Jays]

Exactly, Buckeye McFrog.
If this actually happens, assign the motorist community service as an aide on school buses morning and nigh for six months.

[Quality_Not_Quantity]

They’ll make it a civil infraction to get around this. Same as has been done in virtually every jurisdiction in the country, I imagine.

[Blue Jays]

Indeed. Not to mention the costs of installing and administering the expensive cameras and infrastructure likely to collect NOTHING in revenue!

[oh8eleven]

This will definitely impact minorities and women harder...
A few years ago, the city of Rochester NY installed red light cameras in neighborhoods where there were histories of accidents and violations.
Last month, the mayor, a black DemocRat, said she was pulling the cameras because the vast majority of violators were poor (i.e. minorities) and were being impacted financially more than others.
She never once addressed the issue that these "poor" people were breaking the law more than others.

[longtermmemmory]

you can’t cross examine a camera. This tickets are falling.

This is more about the company that is trying desperately to stay alive in light of a string of failed court cases.

[hal ogen]

The failing loser detroit schools don’t need more money. They to rid them selves of corrupt managers and administrators and fire degenerate loser teachers. In addition, they need students who don’t have entitlement attitudes. The students who want to be good students need parents who aren’t immersed in government dependency or immersed in the drug world. Money? That is the least of their worries.

[Buckeye McFrog]

In my decades of driving I have NEVER seen a motorist illegally pass a school bus.

A member of my extended family did this. A senior banker with advanced degrees in Finance. Told the Judge he did not realize this was illegal. We were all stunned.

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

Sorry, but I’d have no defense if I ran a SkuleBus with lights on.
I’m OK with buses using cameras for this lack of judgement.