Photo radar in Pinellas County?

[MADN3SS]

A friend of mine was speaking to one of her friends who happens to be a LEO, in Pinellas I believe and he brought up this topic. He said that they had photo radar in a few places that would just mail tickets to you. Not that this is something that is advertised, but I'd like to find out if they do and where. I know Largo Police have a "stealth box" that tracks speeders, but it only keeps track of the number of speeders and then corrective action is taken (officer deployed with radar/laser gun).

Anybody hear anything?

[Shadow]

Havn't heard anything about it. There are several intersection cameras that people mistake for ticket cams.

Don't think the Florida legislature has approved the use of them yet. I'll check it out and post up the findings in thi section.

[MADN3SS]

Thanks Gordon.

By the way, I got the info from Carol...do you remember her? From Great Western/First Union. Also married to Maria's son Frank.

I thought I remembered hearing that about the legislature. It would have made a big splash I'm sure.

Scott

[Shadow]

I remember her well. I don't think the citizens will put up with it here, but since when did that matter?

[Rich Z]

Originally Posted by Shadow

I remember her well. I don't think the citizens will put up with it here, but since when did that matter?

Oh I don't know. I know some pretty *interesting* people here. Do they make the cameras bullet proof?

[Shadow]

Originally Posted by Rich Z

Oh I don't know. I know some pretty *interesting* people here. Do they make the cameras bullet proof?

...No...

[Hot Pursuit]

I know someone who has received 2 photo radar cites in Ohio, and a second person who got one in Arizona, but none in Florida. I know there are 2 or 3 photo red light cameras in Manatee or Sarasota County, but no photo radar.

There's a big deal about the photo red light camera company donating the several thousand dollar cameras to the county. This is to show voters and county commissioners how many people actually run the lights each day. The voters will be told of the lives it saves while the cities and couties will be thinking of the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ involved. Imagine, (we'll just estimate a road like US19 or Dale Mabry) 1,000 red light runs a day (by a few inches not a car length or two), + 183 bucks a pop = CHA-CHING !! And once the cameras paid of in a few days there's no more police salary to pay. Free $ after that. Very scary and in the not the too distant future. Realize that 3 of these babys in a 12 month period and your walking your suspended license around town. Not to mention car insurance having a hey-day raising the rates. No more freebies or officer discretion to say that it was not that bad or such. Just thousands of tickets each day.

It will also cause more crashes. More people will slam on the brakes and cause rear end crashes in situations that they could have safely made it, but are now afraid of the ticket they would get. As soon as the numbers are in, FL will be put to a vote on whether or not to let photo tickets (red lights 1st then possibly radar) become legal in this state. I for one like the cat and mouse game with the cops sitting at problem intersections and the citizens policing themselves everywhere else.

[Hot Pursuit]

Originally Posted by Rich Z

Oh I don't know. I know some pretty *interesting* people here. Do they make the cameras bullet proof?

They might. I know of some places where the streetlights were being shot out so the drug dealers could work in the dark, and now the glass covering the light is bullet proof.

If they are not bullet proof It would only take a time or two before they install a 2nd camera to watch the first one and get a good pic of the guy shooting it out. BIG BROTHER AT ITS BEST FOLKS!

[Shadow]

I for one am happy to see you chime in on this one It proves theres still reasonable LEOs in the business. We're on the same page as well.

Photo laser and red light cams are a revenue generator and remove all officer discretion from the scene.

I wasn't even aware of the red light cameras in Manatee, thanks for the info.

There's a big deal about the photo red light camera company donating the several thousand dollar cameras to the county.

Smell a little corruptions scandal in the works?

This is to show voters and county commissioners how many people actually run the lights each day. The voters will be told of the lives it saves while the cities and couties will be thinking of the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ involved.

Thats the entire problem. The voters are so easily led that it's not that difficult to see this becoming a reality

[b]... no more police salary to pay. ...

Thats the other thing. The TOP Cops (chief/Sheriff'etc) will tell the citizens how much time will be freed up for the officers to patrol "crime ridden areas" and how it will reduce response times, yada, yada, yada...then next year at the budget hearing, they'll tell the public how they don't have enough manpower and are having to work off duty hours to fill in the gaps and ask for more $$$ from the commission

It's all about the $$$ The counties/cities/the private enterprise (cam company), all have thier hands out.

Not to mention car insurance having a hey-day raising the rates.

Don't even get me started on these maggots!

It will also cause more crashes. More people will slam on the brakes and cause rear end crashes in situations that they could have safely made it, but are now afraid of the ticket they would get.

Bet on it. And seeing as how the camera can't work the crashes, it'll be the patrol officer or CSO that has to respond. More human ticket writing, additional time spent on non-crime preventing activities and longer response times to calls...yeah, that worked out well...

As soon as the numbers are in, FL will be put to a vote on whether or not to let photo tickets (red lights 1st then possibly radar) become legal in this state.

You need to keep your eyes and ears open to the legislature folks. They see $$$ and they do stupid things. Personally, I'd rather have the shot at officer discretion than some automated ticket writer from out of state!!!! IF one gets through, you can almost bet the other will follow.
OF course, this opens up additional private enterprise (attorneys's, mfg's of tag covers, etc ) hum, maybe it's not so bad after all

I for one like the cat and mouse game with the cops sitting at problem intersections and the citizens policing themselves everywhere else.[/quote]

Right there with on that one too

[Rich Z]

If it becomes a REAL public issue, I think most people would balk at the "big brother" overtones of it. People generally like the idea of cops being around to keep the peace and enforce the laws but I doubt anyone would want to have a cop assigned to be with them 24/7. Which is where this sort of thing would be heading.

Personally I think it would become an administrative nightmare. What happens when someone disputes the charge? Are tapes kept from all the cameras to be retained as evidence? What about management, storage, evidence retrieval and everything else this will require? Someone will have to go to court to present the evidence. So of course each photo image would have to be stored, presumably indexed off of the tag number. Which means the camera would necessarily all have to be tied into a central computer somewhere along with the expenses of maintaining a data center.

And there will ALWAYS be glitches and failures. The most common defense would likely be that there was an apparent equipment failure. So how would the prosecution counter that claim? Periodic tests and calibrations? Even more expense involved.

Sounds like a boondoggle in the making to me.