Each Wednesday, we’ll publish quick summaries of the articles from the last week on TheNewspaper.com. We’re doing this because these articles are often strongly connected to the issues that National Motorists Association members are interested in.
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Ratings Firm Worried That Northeastern Cities Drop Ticket Cameras
The state of New Jersey, Nassau County, New York and Suffolk County, New York decided to pull the plug on photo enforcement last week. New Jersey’s red-light camera program expired, Nassau County’s school zone speed cameras were unpopular and Suffolk decided to drop plans before any cameras were ever installed. These developments have Moody’s Investors Service, a credit rating agency, worried about the impact on the bottom line for jurisdictions that have come to depend on automated ticketing revenue.
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Missouri Towns Sue County Voters Over Red-Light Cameras
Three towns in Missouri joined together to sue the the residents of St. Charles who voted to ban red-light cameras. St. Peters, Lake Saint Louis and O’Fallon are asking a county circuit court judge to overturn the charter amendment banning automated enforcement adopted in November with the support of 73 percent of voters. City leaders argue that the 69,469 residents who voted for the measure had no business limiting the right of local politicians to use automated ticketing machines.
Monday, December 22, 2014
Missouri Shuts Down A Dozen Speed Trap Towns
Attorney General Chris KosterMore than half of all traffic tickets issued in Missouri come from St. Louis and its suburbs, and state Attorney General Chris Koster decided to do something about it. On Thursday, Koster took steps to shut down the ability of thirteen towns to use their municipal court to generate cash from speeding tickets.
Sunday, December 21, 2014
France, Germany, Italy: Speed Camera Swiped, Sprayed, Smashed
Vigilantes in Rome, Italy swiped a speed camera right out from under the noses of sleeping policemen on Friday, according to Blitz Quotidiano. Mobile speed camera units are fully automated, so the only duty for the officers is to drive out to a designated location, park on the side of the road, set up the camera on a tripod, and wait until the shift is over. These officers decided to take a nap and were surprised that the camera was gone when they awoke.
Friday, December 19, 2014
Ohio Supreme Court Rescues Speed Cameras Once More
Cities in Ohio have complete freedom to set up tribunals that do away with due process protections for motorists accused by a machine. A sharply divided state Supreme Court ruled 4 to 3 that the city of Toledo’s home rule authority gave it carte blanche to set up administrative hearings to deal with red-light camera and speed camera tickets.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Texas Town Approves Red-Light Cameras Despite Mounting Complaints
A criminal complaint and a pending ballot box revolt by residents failed to dissuade officials in Willis, Texas from extending the contract giving American Traffic Solutions (ATS) the right to mail out traffic citations at local intersections. The city council on Tuesday approved a new agreement with ATS by a 2 to 1 vote while several of the councilmen were absent.
