Tampa, FL, new red light cameras

Ouch! That seems a bit steep for a photo ticket. I could see fining repeat offenders in progressively larger amounts, this just wreaks of money grabbing. I personally like having cameras in trouble locations to help modify incorrect behavior and increase safety. Now that many communities are using cameras as a revenue source I fear they're going to end up enraging voters and losing an important tool to help police do their jobs. I'd feel much better if I knew cameras were requested by law enforcement and not city councils.

Why would you approve 20 new cameras when the State of Florida is in the process of looking to ban them..!!..?

Nuvi1300WTGPS

That's Flori-duh for ya.

Florida is not going to ban the cameras. The Florida legislature typically says things that are popular and never implements any of them. They are just trying to confuse people and get their votes. This is nothing new.

All this talk about ban on RLC "just around a corner" usually is just blowing of hot air. They talk because people are outraged and later set cameras anyway.

And you can always change mind of government employee in simpler way. Like in Missouri: Missouri attorney general ruling favors red light cameras after accepting three dozen campaign checks from camera lobbyists.

source: http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/34/3415.asp

As they say: show government money and there is no law written in stone. And everything is legal!

I'm summarizing (without changing the content or context) of what the county commissioners said at their meeting, (as reported by the newspaper).

"County commissioners unanimously approved turning on cameras at county intersections, but the Commissioners initially were reluctant to turn on the cameras.. given the state’s move to repeal the red-light cameras, calling them intrusive and a move to generate revenues, rather than a serious safety measure."

What can I say? I can only interpret (right or wrong), what's being said and written.

What say you..?

Nuvi1300WTGPS

From
http://www.bradenton.com/2011/04/13/3109835/county-activates...

"Commissioners initially were reluctant to turn on the cameras currently installed at 15th Street East and 57th Avenue West and at the intersection of 53rd Avenue West and 34th Street West, given the state’s move to repeal the red-light cameras, calling them intrusive and a move to generate revenues, rather than a serious safety measure. "

When I read this quote in http://www.poi-factory.com/node/32829 I took some time to find the link above. I could not reconcile the fact that the Manatee county commissioners were unanimous in voting to turn on the cameras with the last part of the quote above (starting with "calling them ...")

I just wondered if the reporter was referring to the state legislators rather than the county commissioners in the last part of the sentence.

Does anyone know if the county commissioners had previously called the cameras "intrusive and a move to generate revenue"?

All the politicians in Flrida lie like rugs!
Never trust any of them, they say what they think the people want to hear and then do what they want. Usually you find out after they are out of office.

When are these new cameras in Tampa supposed to go active as far as actual fines?

More money to city of Tampa.

This coming from some one from New York,the capital of crooked politicians.

The cities in Florida are actively trying to get this new bill killed. The state is not too anxious to repeal the cameras either, because they wrote a clause in the original bill so that they get 50% of all ticket monies.

Now, in case the cameras are repealed by the state legislature, the cities are hoping that they can "grandfather in" their red light cameras. Some cities are signing long contracts (I have heard up to ten years) in hopes that their legal departments can force the state to let them keep their legal binding contracts until they expire. If that fails, I have no idea if the cities will be on the hook for the remaining contract term without the use of the cameras.

Any word on when those cameras in the Tampa area will go active on tickets?

It looks like the camera issue in Tampa has stalled. The Tampa City Council was deadlocked when they voted:

http://cltampa.com/dailyloaf/archives/2011/03/30/as-tampa-co...

Thanks for the link.

Thanks for the link as well.

Not my money. I'm staying away from Tampa

Veterans need to go to Tampa to get to the James A. Haley VA hospital. So Tampa has a red light camera on the next corner.

So sometimes, "Vanilla", you just have to go to Tampa.

By CHRISTIAN WADE, JOSH POLTILOVE
Published: July 22, 2011

TAMPA --
Red-light cameras will be installed at 19 intersections throughout the city, transportation officials said Thursday.

The cameras will be installed beginning next month.

"Red-light running has become an epidemic in Tampa and Florida, and I think these cameras will be a good deterrent and will be a way to change the culture," Mayor Bob Buckhorn said.

City council members voted 4-3 in April to approve a contract with an Arizona-based company to install and operate the controversial traffic devices.

Officials have chosen intersections where red-light running commonly occurs, Buckhorn said.

"I think the data drives the locations, and we've approached this as scientifically as we can," he said.

City revenue from infractions detected by the cameras is projected at about $2 million a year. But Buckhorn said he believes the main purpose for the cameras is to prevent crashes.

"I think as people realize there are penalties to pay for this behavior and you put other people's lives at risk to save yourself three seconds and you get caught, maybe the behavior will change," he said.

This is typical boilerplate talk from politicians trying to justify these spy cameras. Seen and heard the same gibberish over and over. What do expect him to say?, "Oh, yeah, we are doing it to get into your wallets"?

I agree that red light running is a bad thing, but surreptitious snooping is a forerunner to civil rights violations. There absolutely, positively needs to be a peace officer to observe the violation. The cameras cannot tell if the driver is impaired, ill, avoiding a worse situation than the red light poses, blinded by the sun or snow, etc, etc, etc. Only a peace officer can determine this, and weigh if the violation is warranted and/or further action is necessary.

A neighboring city has them at red lights and with stop-on-right-turn monitoring. They are now negotiating with vendors to track boats with speed cameras on the water! I'm just waiting for them to point cameras on the local airplanes and helicopters - should be deep pockets there!