Government officials claim red-light cams and radar vans promote public safety. But critics charge they are merely a technology-based revenue stream for cash-strapped local bureaucrats. Denham Springs is working to put up its own cameras; Lafayette, New Orleans, and Jefferson Parish already have them. Livingston Parish has a speed van that uses digital photos to dole out speeding tickets without so much as pulling over drivers. Ditto for Baker and Zachary. And the dollars are rolling in.
Baton Rouge’s cut in 2008 was $1.7 million from 21,933 tickets issued by contractor American Traffic Solutions — and most of the city’s cameras didn’t even go online until last summer. In January and February of this year, ATS issued 5,000 tickets to Baton Rouge drivers. If the company keeps that pace, it will mail out nearly 30,000 tickets by year’s end, earning the city another $3.5 million. 225 magazine examines photo enforcement programs, whether it’s a violation of your rights and the possibility of them being taken away. Read the cover story here.
