Some persistent digging by the Rocky Mountain News has revealed that some funny business is going on at Denver’s intersections. The city had four red light cameras installed at different intersections in Denver hoping to cut down cut down the number of traffic violations…or line their government coffers with money.
The cameras, installed by Arizona’s Redflex Traffic Systems, were first active in the summer of 2008. Under an agreement between the Denver Police Department and Redflex, the systems company is required to perform required maintenance on the cameras and submit documentation to the city that reveal how many red light runners the cameras have caught. Once the cameras fall below a 98 percent catch rate, Reflex has to pay the city $25 for every missed infraction.
Turns out Denver didn’t really care about the records until the news outfit outed the funny business. But now that this is a public matter, the city’s police department has been forceful with Redflex about obtaining records and claims at least $27, 900 is owed to the city under the 98 percent clause. Since the system went live in the summer, no month has produced a catch rate of more than 98 percent and one month hit a low of 83 percent.
This may look like a big battle now, but the 1 year contract is up for renewal February 15. An ethical government would go elsewhere, but consider this. Before the cameras were installed, Denver pulled in $6, 320 a month from $75 traffic tickets. In November 2008, the revenue number had increased exponentially to $173, 295. Do you think that contract will be renewed? I do.
May I suggest picking up a newer GPS device with a red light camera/speed trap database? Or if you have an iPhone, consider one of the many similar applications. If you’re in Denver, it’s just best to avoid those intersections. With no reliable data, the city could send you a traffic ticket for nothing and probably will.
As the saying goes, the only sure things in life are death, taxes, and bogus traffic tickets.
via ars technica
(Image Credit: jimmedia)
