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City says no photo-foolery
Houston Chronicle ^ | 9-1-06 | ALEXIS GRANT

Posted on 09/01/2006 8:58:53 AM PDT by Snickering Hound

As red-light enforcement cameras start taking money shots at 10 city intersections today, police are warning that it's illegal to try and thwart the technology.

Starting today, owners of vehicles the cameras catch running red lights will receive $75 civil fines. The cameras photograph rear license plates, and citations are mailed to registered vehicle owners.

Officials are cautioning drivers not to use clear sprays and license-plate covers advertised as preventing cameras from taking readable images of plate numbers.

"It's against the law," said Executive Assistant Chief of Police Martha Montalvo, who oversees the camera program.

Most of the stealth products create a glossy covering that sellers say causes a glare when hit by the camera's flash.

Pennsylvania-based Phantom Plate Inc. and other manufacturers of the products have gained business as more cities adopt camera technology for traffic enforcement. Phantom Plate's most popular product, PhotoBlocker Spray, and other items are sold mainly on the Internet.

Phantom Plate has seen an increase in sales in Houston and Texas recently, said company spokesman Joe Scott.

As in many other states, Texas makes it a misdemeanor to obscure a license plate, including use of "a coating, covering or protective material that distorts angular visibility or detectability." Another state law makes it a felony to alter a government document or impair its legibility.

Scott acknowledged that Phantom Plate's PhotoShield clear license-plate covers are illegal in Texas. But state law does not prohibit sprays, such as PhotoBlocker, that are invisible to the naked eye and only affect photos, he said.

New York and Illinois passed laws in recent years against PhotoBlocker Spray, Scott said. An attorney in Houston's legal department said the city has no plans for such an ordinance.

American Traffic Solutions Inc., the company that runs the camera system in Houston, says most such products aren't effective — including PhotoBlocker Spray, which sells for $29.99.

"It's a waste of money. Just stop on red," said Jim Tuton, CEO of Phoenix-based ATS, which also has camera-enforcement projects in Seattle, New York and Philadelphia.

Scott said his company does not condone red-light violators but wants to protect them from overzealous prosecution. Like other opponents of red-light cameras, he says the program is simply a way for the city and vendor to make money.

Houston's $75 fine is low compared with some other cities that use the technology, Tuton said.

Violators have 45 days after the ticket is issued to pay the fine or request a hearing. Violators who do neither will receive a final warning before a collection agency attempts to collect the debt. The city has no mechanism for penalizing violators who don't pay the fine.

Police can still write tickets — misdemeanor criminal citations that carry fines up to $200.

The City Council approved Houston's camera project in 2004, but it was delayed by debate in the state Legislature last year over whether to ban red-light cameras. This year, it was stalled at City Hall for months by rejected contractors who said the vendor-selection process was unfair.

So far, cameras have been installed at 10 intersections, but the goal is to use them at 50 sites. Police are expected to announce the next 10 locations sometime this month.

The list likely will include several intersections that belong to the Texas Department of Transportation. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott recently told the city it's legal to install cameras on TxDOT roads.

City officials project that the program will bring in $6.7 million for the fiscal year ending next June 30.

Of that, about $2.4 million will go to ATS. It also will receive a processing fee for each citation if the number of violators caught daily by each camera exceeds 25. But the per-camera payment is capped at $5,000 a month, to blunt criticism that a per-citation payment structure gives companies incentive to design systems that catch many violators.

Most of the rest of the revenue will go to police overtime necessary because of the department's manpower shortage, said Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt. About $100,000 will help fund driver education for high school students.

Hurtt expects the program to reduce the number of drivers who run red lights and reduce the number of fatalities and injuries at intersections.

But critics of red-light cameras say the technology causes an increase in rear-end collisions because drivers hit the brakes to avoid a ticket when approaching a yellow light.

"It's going to make the streets more dangerous while taking people's money," said Greg Mauz of the Texas chapter of the National Motorists Association.

The city plans to monitor crash data at cameras sites, Hurtt said.

A 2005 study by the Federal Highway Administration showed that in seven communities where red-light cameras were used, right-angle crashes decreased 24 percent while rear-end crashes increased 15 percent. Right-angle crashes, or T-bone collisions, usually are more severe.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: 7milliondollars; bigbrother; citytax; harriscounty; houston; mayorwhite; notaboutcrime; payup; policestate; risingviolentcrime; shakedown; taxdollarsatwork; youpayforthis
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Ok Alexis, which is it? Can you put a photo spray on your license plate or not?
1 posted on 09/01/2006 8:58:54 AM PDT by Snickering Hound
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To: Snickering Hound
City officials project that the program will bring in $6.7 million for the fiscal year ending next June 30.

Its not really about public safety, is it.

2 posted on 09/01/2006 9:03:12 AM PDT by King Moonracer (Bad lighting and cheap fabric, thats how you sell clothing.)
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To: Snickering Hound
A 2005 study by the Federal Highway Administration showed that in seven communities where red-light cameras were used, right-angle crashes decreased 24 percent while rear-end crashes increased 15 percent. Right-angle crashes, or T-bone collisions, usually are more severe.

It's all about the revenue. Nothing else.

And when you have a rear-end crash, they still get you with a ticket for 'failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident' or some such.

Personally I think the most effective spray for these things is 12-gauge

3 posted on 09/01/2006 9:03:25 AM PDT by IncPen (Bush Iraq Truth WMD http://freedomkeys.com/whyiraq.htm)
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To: Snickering Hound

You can't do $*@! in Houston. The city is broke.


4 posted on 09/01/2006 9:05:54 AM PDT by weegee (Remember "Remember the Maine"? Well in the current war "Remember the Baby Milk Factory")
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To: Snickering Hound

Are these cameras run by a division of Reuters?


5 posted on 09/01/2006 9:07:35 AM PDT by MediaMole (9/11 - We have already forgotten.)
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To: IncPen

I'm avoiding the lights altogether and informing the businesses that they will not get my business. Maybe future businesses will protest the city's decision when they are targeted for a get rich quick revenue scheme.

It isn't about safety. The cops would be tackling violent crime if they wanted a safer Houston. The DA won't let you carry a gun in your car as permitted by the state legislature and the city isn't prosecuting carjackers.


6 posted on 09/01/2006 9:07:41 AM PDT by weegee (Remember "Remember the Maine"? Well in the current war "Remember the Baby Milk Factory")
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To: MediaMole

Outsourced to Hezbollah....


7 posted on 09/01/2006 9:08:02 AM PDT by weegee (Remember "Remember the Maine"? Well in the current war "Remember the Baby Milk Factory")
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To: Snickering Hound

So much easier to just mail people "contribution requests" at random.

Once they find out these thing are noting raising enough money, they will hire "drive-by media" outlets to photoshop violations. Watch.


8 posted on 09/01/2006 9:08:41 AM PDT by PetroniDE (We Don't Live in Texas Anymore --- State Name is Now TAXES !!)
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To: 1riot1ranger; Action-America; Aggie Mama; Alkhin; Allegra; American72; antivenom; Antoninus II; ...
Houston PING

The city's finally implemented their "Robin Hood" plan; shakedown the citizenry for new taxes.

9 posted on 09/01/2006 9:10:57 AM PDT by weegee (Remember "Remember the Maine"? Well in the current war "Remember the Baby Milk Factory")
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To: PetroniDE

Hell we could save MILLIONS if the city would stop hooking up their pals and family with contracts for bogus multimillion dollar computer software.


10 posted on 09/01/2006 9:12:15 AM PDT by weegee (Remember "Remember the Maine"? Well in the current war "Remember the Baby Milk Factory")
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To: Snickering Hound

When enough citizens find the balls to start setting these little robocops on fire, or smashing them to smithereens, and then MAILING the wreckage to the Houston city elders, this crapola will come to a screeching halt.

Yes indeedy, it's all about money, and if their traffic tyranny program costs the city more money than it brings in, it won't last a year if that.


11 posted on 09/01/2006 9:13:56 AM PDT by mkjessup (The Shah doesn't look so bad now, eh? But nooo, Jimmah said the Ayatollah was a 'godly' man.)
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To: Snickering Hound


Isn't there something in the Constitution about the right to face your accuser?

Typical - when the left says "rights" they don't mean for other people....


12 posted on 09/01/2006 9:17:56 AM PDT by Tzimisce (How Would Mohammed Vote? Hillary for President! www.dndorks.com)
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To: Snickering Hound
Hmmm... what would I do...

I wonder if these cameras pick up infrared light, just like most common cameras do. If so, you just mount some strong infrared (INVISBLE TO THE NAKED EYE) light source shining from your plate back so it white spots the camera, but is not visible to other motorists/'donut eaters'.

13 posted on 09/01/2006 9:23:59 AM PDT by AmericaUnited
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To: Tzimisce

If the license is obscured in the photo how do they know who to come get for breaking the "don't obscure the license plate" law?


14 posted on 09/01/2006 9:25:58 AM PDT by statered ("And you know what I mean.")
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To: AmericaUnited
Infrared Light Bulb with 48 IR LED Waterproof and heavy duty


15 posted on 09/01/2006 9:27:00 AM PDT by AmericaUnited
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To: Snickering Hound
Red Light Cameras?....


16 posted on 09/01/2006 9:35:27 AM PDT by Hatteras
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To: statered

I drive a jeep, somehow my plate is always covered with mud. I wonder how that happens.


17 posted on 09/01/2006 9:38:04 AM PDT by Hydroshock ( (Proverbs 22:7). The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.)
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To: Snickering Hound

I wonder if they are shortening the yellows so more people run reds like they did here in the People's Democratic State of Maryland...


18 posted on 09/01/2006 9:49:06 AM PDT by RebelBanker (If you can't do something smart, do something right.)
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To: RebelBanker

which is why they made this a civil fine.

If you have a big business deal you now don't have to wait for red lights because red lights are now optional for rich people.

Late for a flight? just run the lights.

Hot date? just run the lights

Late for curfew? just run the lights

Money equals red lights not for you.


19 posted on 09/01/2006 9:57:20 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: Snickering Hound

How about using these cameras as target practice?


20 posted on 09/01/2006 10:03:34 AM PDT by D-Chivas
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