Posted on 01/04/2009 9:19:22 AM PST by george76
Pima County officials want to install 20 speed enforcement cameras to slow traffic, while neighboring Pinal County is pulling them because the new sheriff believes they are primarily used to make money.
Pima County supervisors are expected to vote next week on a proposal to deploy 10 fixed and 10 mobile speed enforcement cameras. They would supplement cameras already used by the city of Tucson ...
``I am against it, not only because I'm a strict constitutionalist, but I believe that the main purpose, is it's driven to create money for the government...'' Babeu said ... ``It's corrupting law enforcement for us to be partnered with a private entity that creates revenue.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.ktar.com ...
There was another thread about truant schoolkids taping a copy of a hated teacher’s license plate over their own plate, and then speeding by one of these cameras. The right to face your accuser and all that.
If cops are actually trying to slow people down, why do they hide with radar guns?
Cops should openly be in their marked cars for safety.
This is all about revenue generation, not safety.
Heck, if they just want to slow people down, all they need to do is park a dummy police car on the side of the road.
Good idea! Not necessarily doing it with a teacher's plate, but perhaps the license plate of typical greedy politicians. Just overwhelm the system with false plates until the resulting tidal wave of civil court cases overwhelms and bankrupts the companies that operate these unconstitutional devices.
These cameras have absolutely nothing to do with traffic safety. They are only used to raise revenue. Everyone, even the politicians know it.
As stated by our corrupt Arizona governor regarding the budget deficit “it is a windfall”
I wonder how hard it would be to hit the lens of one of these cameras with a paint ball. They only take pictures of speeding cars right?
I’ve been calling them REO’s for years now. Revenue Enhancement Officers. I have NO respect for cops anymore of any type or stripe. They willing let themselves be corrupted by their masters and stick it to us.
It’s all about revenue. My home, Austin Tx, is pretty crime free. My new police commish. has amped up all kinds of speed traps to increase the city’s coffers. He’s from LA, so maybe he thinks we’re all gang-bangers in disguise. Of course City Hall loves him.
AH yes, we had those in Anchorage some years back - thanks to a small weasel soon to be our Senator....
THe citizens got rid of them by iniative - only sworn peace officers may issue a trafic ticket.
THis because we had an out of control “Parking Authority” (contracted) and a greedy pol.
Better start collecting signatures now - all the pols can see if the $ sign....
Paint ball? How about a 22-250?
Sometimes that works too well, which is even more dangerous than traffic flowing briskly. I've seen I-80 flowing at 65-70mph all of a sudden hit a wall of traffic. I was on my motorcycle and worried about unattentive drivers slamming up against me. Traffic was intense. 20 minutes of bumper to bumper crawling where I had to keep both feet on the ground so my bike wouldn't fall over. That slow. I thought there must have been a huge pileup with all but a lane or perhaps just the margin open. Nope. Just a cop car on the side of the road. Once we got passed it, back to 65-70mph.
unattentive = inattentive
*sigh*
One of Babeau's campaign promises was to get rid of the photo-enforcement vans. Looks like he's making good on his promise.
My son lives in Pinal County and is very glad they're going away. They're a menace to traffic because people slow down to below the speed limit when they see the vans - something mentioned by someone else upthread.
;-)
And of course the oblivious asshat in the cop car doesn't come to the conclusion that he's a major safety threat to everyone on the road and should drive away.
It was definitely a safety hazard. But even if the drivers avoided any collisions, it was a major inconvenience. Total waste of time, gasoline, and brake pads--and if you drive an automatic, think of all the heat generated in the torque converter shortening fluid life and possibly transmission life. For absolutely no reason.
When you go through such an inconvenience, it's really hard not to simply hate cops. Would have loved to see a traffic helicopter report on it. Avoid New Jersey if you can!
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