Posted on 01/11/2005 3:13:51 AM PST by pageonetoo
D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams cited the "urgent need" to collect revenue in his recent request to continue the city's automated traffic-enforcement program, which added four new cameras yesterday, despite previous assurances that use of the technology is driven by concerns for safety, not profits.
"There is an urgent need for the approval of this contract to ensure the continued processing of District tickets and the collection of District revenues," Mr. Williams wrote in a Dec. 16 letter to D.C. Council Chairman Linda W. Cropp.
In the letter, Mr. Williams was seeking support for the District's $14.6 million contract with ACS State and Local Solutions, which the council later approved. ACS, a private company, handles fines for the city's automated traffic-enforcement program.
A spokeswoman for Mr. Williams yesterday said that the mayor's views about red light and speed cameras haven't changed and that he probably should have included "an extra sentence about public safety" in his letter to Mrs. Cropp....
(Excerpt) Read more at insider.washingtontimes.com ...
Anyone who ever thought these were for "safety" probably also believes that Democrats "really care".
Lies. It's about the $, pure and simple.
It alway$ i$...
There are posters on this forum who actually believe that LEOs are motivated by public safety instead of revenue.
They need to sit in our traffic court and listen to the judge hand out kudos to the traffic patrolman who brings in a big sheaf of tickets.
and that he probably should have included "an extra sentence about public safety" in his letter to Mrs. Cropp....
OK, who left the barn door open?
IMO, the JBT's are one of the biggest threats to our society. Their lawmaking accomplices have put walls around everything we do, so they can snag the unwary, and levy a fine, or incarcerate you...
What jacks my jaws, these days, about too many LEO's, is that they sit by the side of the road, with lights flashing, to warn of construction zones, while collecting overtime pay. But, try and get a call answered, except in an emergency (even then, there is wasted time involved...)! I was searching, but can't find, the posting about how many LEO's are making in excess of $100k annually...
Why are they traffic guards, now???
There's a red light camera case here in NC that is probably 3 years old. It's getting continually kicked up to higher courts. The superior court judge in the case ruled that state statues demand all proceeds collected from law enforcement traffic fines be used for educational purposes, less administrative fees, not to exceed 10%.
The company that installs and maintains the cameras gets about 60% of the $50 fine. A reduction to 10% would kill the program.
Of course, that won't happen until this case makes it to the USSC, which is what the local attorney was aiming for all along. And that won't happen for another couple or few years.
Those pesky little laws again...
"But, try and get a call answered, except in an emergency (even then, there is wasted time involved...)"
Thieves broke into a friend of mine's car and stole $800 worth of property. The police would not come out and investigate. They took the report by phone and mailed him a copy to send to his insurance company along with his claim.
a few years back there was a little midwest town that was an unabashed speed trap. problem was, they wrote too many tickets and ended up not being able to pay their share of the revenue to the state in the end.
I don't remember if it was because they had spent it all or what....
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Looks like they want to circumvent Congress with a local slush fund.
I know the plantiff in the case. The original filing of the case cited the violation of the Constitutional right of presumed innocense and the right to face your accuser in a court a law.
The way it is now you must go to the Traffic Cam vendor's office and sit through a hearing with a court of monkeys(traffic cam company is judge and jury) and prove your innocence before they will waive the fine.
It is a sad statement that the court has basically said it's ok to violate the Constitution, but we won't tolerate the state being screwed out of 90% of the fine.
The same has happened here. I guess when Dunkin Donuts is burgled, they will arrive pronto! Yet, they still send me a little sticker, with an appeal for my money....
I just want one of those license plates with "FOP", so I can speed, too!
Benefits of the FOPA
Membership in the Grand Lodge FOPA entitles you to the following benefits:
* National fraternalism with our law enforcement family.
* Professional membership cards, decals, and emblems which are recognized nationally.
* Recognition of outstanding achievements through various awards programs.
* The opportunity to attend and vote at State and National Conferences.
DO YOU BELIEVE...
...in a better State, Community, and Country?
...in professional Law Enforcement?
...in protection for your family, home and business?
...in a united effort to safeguard freedom?
If you answered YES, you are a candidate for membership in the FOPA!
(from the FOP site- http://www.grandlodgefop.org/associates/index.html)
Just consider how much of your local police force time is spent enforcing piddling traffic laws that produce lots of revenue but little real benefit, and how much is spent solving and preventing burglaries, which produces real benefit but little revenue, and voila, the lack of emperor's clothes is revealed.
A person would have to have the IQ of a potato not to have figured out from the access that it was about money and has absolutely nothing to do with safety...well, except for maybe the safety of their revenues. Either way, it is wrong.
Speed camera malfunction won't stop fines: Carr
January 10, 2005 - 4:32PM
Proof a speed camera malfunctioned is unlikely to save 233 motorists in Sydney from traffic fines.
The camera on Sydney's Carlingford Road was shut down on July 19 after police noticed its flash was activating when cars travelling within the speed limit passed by.
NSW Premier Bob Carr today said the camera had been tested and although the flash had been malfunctioning the speed detection device was found to be working effectively.
Mr Carr said there was no reason why the 233 motorists detected speeding by the camera on July 19 should escape being fined.
"The advice I've got is that the speed camera while it was flashing was not generating fines when people weren't speeding," Mr Carr told reporters.
"Certainly I'd be pretty cross if I found out people were being fined as a result of faulty measuring and faulty recording."
Acting NSW Opposition Leader Andrew Stoner called for an urgent audit of all speed cameras in the state and said fines from questionable cameras should be waived.
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"As a measure of good faith and a show that this government doesn't regard speed cameras merely as revenue raising mechanisms, fines issued from questionable cameras must be revoked," Mr Stoner said in a statement.
excerpted- from Aussie land, but still the same...http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Speed-camera-malfunction-wont-stop-fines-Carr/2005/01/10/1105206037263.html
I may not care if you personally get home every night, but I'd rather not have to help find whats left of you after a crash. I only wish I got a cut of the revenue too, but that goes straight to your local government's slush fund.
Thats actually considered innovative in LE. Basically, if the guy smashed your window with a rock and grabbed some CDs a few hours ago he is gone. There is no sherlock holmes activity involved here. All sending a patrol car does is take a car out of service that could be ready to stop an in-progress crime.
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