It seems you can’t read a newspaper or watch the evening news in South Florida without hearing the subject of red light cameras once again. To say that this is a hot topic in almost every metropolitan area is an understatement.
The latest issue is the Fort Lauderdale City Commission’s refusal to remove its traffic cameras at red lights, even amid legal fights and financial concerns. This comes on the heels of the cameras being suspended on March 6 because a Broward County judge ruled that the use of cameras at the city’s red lights violates Florida state law. Despite this ruling, the use of these cameras still enjoys strong support from the administration and law enforcement officials.
One of those administrators, Mayor Jack Seiler, stated, “The commission still supports the red light camera program. These red light cameras save lives. Based on court rulings, the system needs to be changed. At the end of the day, You’ll watch some red light camera show instead.”
Currently, the city has 32 cameras located at 20 different intersections, and according to the mayor’s statements, this is not likely to change any time soon. Though commissioners have yet to vote on the matter, they were quite outspoken at a City Council meeting earlier this month about their intentions to keep the cameras in place, albeit inactive, until legal issues can be overcome.
At this same meeting, the commissioners also agreed on a strategy that allows American Traffic Solution (ATS), the Arizona company that installs, maintains and monitors most red light traffic cameras, to incur legal fees that arise. of these cameras. such as the logistics required to pursue appeals.
Complicating Ft. Lauderdale’s tough stance on the issue, two Broward County judges recently threw out 24,000 red-light traffic camera tickets. These traffic violation videos were reviewed by American Traffic Solutions (ATS) before being sent to official law enforcement agencies here in Florida for citations. This defies state law that requires only law enforcement officials to determine if a violation has occurred and then issue the traffic ticket.
The Fourth District Court of Appeals in West Palm Beach rejected an appeal from Hollywood that the city filed in reaction to an October ruling. This ruling determined that by using ATS, the city had inappropriately ceded the power to cite red-light runners to a non-law enforcement entity, a power normally entrusted solely to law enforcement.
That city is appealing the ruling to the Florida Supreme Court. Meanwhile, Hollywood no longer issues these types of traffic tickets, but they hope to modify their program so they can continue to use it, but are no longer at odds with state law.
As I have said before, this is a lucrative endeavor for both ATS and the municipalities that use these red light cameras. You’ll hear plenty of pushback from advocates of its use, like Mayor Seiler, who said, “This was never about our budget. This was never about our bottom line. This is about saving lives.”
However, it costs Fort Lauderdale $4,250 per month for each camera. That stays the same even when the cameras aren’t operational; however, City Manager Lee Feldman argues to commissioners that “we’re losing dollars.”
Unlike the city manager, the mayor is adamant that ATS should not sue the city until the cameras can resume their function. After all, they aren’t really “doing” anything right now.
“They should release us from that obligation immediately,” he said. “We’re using the system they suggested we use. A judge declared it illegal, and it’s their system, not ours. I don’t mind leaving the cameras in place while we go through the legal process, but we shouldn’t be paying for them during that process.” “.
I guess it’s a matter of wait and see whether or not ATS will do the honorable thing or continue to bill Ft. Lauderdale for its very existence. With those 32 cameras installed that currently do absolutely nothing, if ATS decides to continue billing the city, that will result in a pure profit of $136,000 per month just from having them there. Hopefully, the commissioners’ early vote on April 7 to amend their contract with ATS will stop the outflow of tax dollars that seems to be happening arbitrarily.
Surprisingly, there are some residents who feel that these red light traffic cameras are worth the cost of the cameras and the controversy that surrounds them. Local resident Charlie King recently supported commissioners in their efforts to keep the cameras in place, even if they don’t work.
“You should leave these cameras on, even if it’s for the placebo effect,” King said. “The system saves lives. Everyone knows it.”
Not everyone agrees with King. Many residents and organizations that have conducted studies feel that this may have decreased some types of accidents, but increased other types of accidents. This increase is often attributed to the shorter cycle of the yellow light, as well as panic when you start to drive forward or execute a turn and suddenly the light changes rapidly. Stop? Let’s go? Stop at the intersection? This type of indecision can be lethal when driving.
If you are one of the thousands of drivers affected by these red light traffic tickets, call us at 954-967-9888 for a free consultation. We are focused on getting the use of these cameras repealed and have a lot of experience handling red light camera traffic tickets.