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More than 60 percent of red-light camera violations tossed out
Rocky Mountain News ^ | September 30, 2008 | Daniel J. Chacon

Posted on 09/30/2008 9:02:07 PM PDT by george76

Denver's red-light cameras were anything but picture perfect in their first month of operation.

More than 60 percent of the 2,545 suspected red-light violations caught on camera ...have been tossed out.

The reasons vary, but police said that most of the citations were rejected because the "threshold speed" that helps trigger the cameras was set too low, generating hundreds of false readings.

"The cameras fired, but the picture clearly showed all of the vehicles in compliance," ...

Since then, the threshold speed was reset ...

In Denver, police officials expect the city's $838,800 red-light camera system to perform more smoothly in the future and chalk up the incorrect threshold speed to kinks ...

But the camera setting glitch is only the latest in a series for the red-light cameras.

The red-light cameras are projected to generate $1.25 million for the city in 2009.

Delays in the roll-out of the cameras have already forced the city to adjust its 2008 revenue projections.

Before the cameras were installed at four busy intersections, the city had to re-examine its plans after a Rocky Mountain News investigation found that all four locations had short yellow signal times that could possibly turn them into ticket traps and magnets for accidents.

(Excerpt) Read more at rockymountainnews.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; US: Colorado
KEYWORDS: abuseofpower; bigbrother; cameras; corruption; donutwatch; hiddentaxes; leo; policestate; redlight; redlightcameras; revenuetickets; taxes
Safety or revenue generation ?

.

1 posted on 09/30/2008 9:02:08 PM PDT by george76
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To: george76

Well they didn’t catch me last week.


2 posted on 09/30/2008 9:04:13 PM PDT by Paleo Conservative (Drill Here. Drill Now. Pay Less.)
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To: george76

ALmost certainly revenue generation.

Safety cams cost a lot more than what they spent.


3 posted on 09/30/2008 9:06:18 PM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: george76

I drive down the freeway by a stretch of intersections with a ton of cameras. Every morning I see the tell tale flash and there is no car in or exiting the intersection, with the exception of a couple of times I saw them actually go off when the only cars in the intersection had a green light.


4 posted on 09/30/2008 9:07:42 PM PDT by SlapHappyPappy
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To: george76
Q: "Safety or revenue generation?"

A: "Delays in the roll-out of the cameras have already forced the city to adjust its 2008 revenue projections."

5 posted on 09/30/2008 9:08:34 PM PDT by Uncle Miltie (Bushonomics: Privatize Gains, Socialize Losses)
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To: Uncle Miltie

Demand a trial by jury, and then ask for your Constitutional right to face your “accuser”


6 posted on 09/30/2008 9:11:22 PM PDT by rickomatic
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To: Paleo Conservative
Have had those cameras in our city, at first they said it was for safety, They anticipated $300,000 of revenue off the cameras in the first year. It was less than 5,000. Of course the city spent the $300,000. Then the courts rules them as potentially illegal because the fines were different than other fines. So they were off for a year. Now they are back on this week.

These are for revenue only!

7 posted on 09/30/2008 9:12:32 PM PDT by Cliveman
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To: Cliveman
Here in Seattle WA, there is an initiative that says that all revenue from the cameras is to go to a statewide fund to reduce traffic congestion. Seattle made a Million of its red light cameras and are they PO’d.

We need the initiative process on a national scale. The first one should be term limits.

8 posted on 09/30/2008 10:22:38 PM PDT by stubernx98 (cranky, but reasonable)
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To: george76

Same design as their automated bagage handling system at the new airport.


9 posted on 09/30/2008 10:29:26 PM PDT by uncommonsense
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To: george76

I got one of those in the mail this week. They want $75 for me running a red light, which I would never do. I went to the website, and the still photos there appear to show me stopping at the red light and then making a perfectly legal right turn on red. I could prove that if I could access the video, but it crashes every browser I try to watch it in, even after downloading the codecs they say I have to have. Biggest damn extortion plot ever concocted. All those cameras on poles should be sawn off at street level and shoved all the way up the rear ends of whoever invented them.


10 posted on 09/30/2008 11:01:10 PM PDT by HHFi
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To: rickomatic

“Demand a trial by jury, and then ask for your Constitutional right to face your “accuser”

Paying the fee for a jury trial is a good way to get the prosecutor to make a deal. As for the accuser, they have that covered. The accuser is the cop who studied the film, and that cop comes to court and testifies.


11 posted on 09/30/2008 11:15:58 PM PDT by SaxxonWoods (If you don't vote, you don't matter.)
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To: george76

If you value freedom get rid of these things!


12 posted on 10/01/2008 3:33:30 AM PDT by Rhino54
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To: george76

I hate those things. The government just loooooves to spend.


13 posted on 10/01/2008 1:21:57 PM PDT by Meshblorg
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To: SaxxonWoods

Good. Then lets see how many resources they have to send the “accusers” to every trial. Gotta fight back people.


14 posted on 10/01/2008 8:05:20 PM PDT by rickomatic
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