Council gives red-light cameras green light
Police have already selected high-traffic intersections for initial locations
9/10/2008
Cameras rather than cops will provide evidence for red-light violations in Santa Fe following the City Council's Wednesday night approval of an ordinance to allow automated traffic enforcement.
The next step likely will be to ask a private company to install and maintain the cameras and to provide images of violators to city police for review.
Backers officially tout the program as a way to make intersections more safe by changing driver behavior and reducing crashes. But depending on how many drivers are nabbed, the city stands to collect an estimated $1.1 million in annual revenue that will be funneled to the Police Department.
Under a typical arrangement, Redflex, the Arizona company that has been courting the city and will bid on a contract for the service, would also earn cash from each ticket.
The 5-3 vote means the city will join Albuquerque as the second New Mexico municipality to use the cameras.
For city resident Rick Gutierrez, the measure seems an appropriate one. Gutierrez lost his wife four years ago when a bus ran a red light and plowed into the vehicle she was driving.
"In Santa Fe, running a red light or a stop sign is not the exception; it's the norm," he said. "Something needs to be done. I think this is a good step."
Other city residents registered their objections, including Jason Martinez, a state worker and Santa Fe native. "They are not doing it for safety. They are doing it for profit," Martinez said before the council hearing began. "The companies that do this are getting paid. For this council to say it's for safety is like George Bush saying the war in Iraq is for freedom in the U.S."
Stephanie Sloman, a co-worker of Martinez's, also disagreed with the plan. She noted the concerns that the city will change the timing of lights to catch more red-light runners and worried the cameras will lead to more surveillance.
Under the ordinance, offenders have an opportunity to appeal a citation through a hearing process and can also "nominate" another driver if the owner of the vehicle did not commit the violation. Fines for red-light violations start at $66 and escalate with each infraction over a two-year period. They are only levied if a driver enters an intersection after a light is already red, according to backers.
Councilor Ronald Trujillo, who sponsored the measure to fulfill a campaign promise, refuted the idea the program was only revenue oriented. "The driving habits here in Santa Fe are not good. Every day, I witness people running red lights. What makes people think that their time is more important than my time?" he said.
Other cities are already attempting to start similar programs. Española Police Chief Julian Gonzales, for example, is also working with Redflex. Last month, he, along with Santa Fe Police Capt. Anthony Robbin, made a presentation to the city's Public Safety Committee, and will return after Redflex conducts a pilot demonstration program at Española intersections this fall, he said Wednesday. Las Cruces city councilors are also considering the program.
Meanwhile, Gov. Bill Richardson has voiced opposition to the proliferation of automated traffic enforcement, especially its "Big Brother aspect," he said in a statement, referring — as many others have — to nonstop government surveillance in the George Orwell novel 1984.
The New Mexico Legislature passed a law last year that takes a major bite out of Albuquerque's revenues from the camera enforcement program. As written, the statue does not apply to Santa Fe — only cities with a population of 200,000 or more.
A new state law also requires cities to put up signs and other warnings for drivers at intersections where the cameras are in use.
Police have already selected the city intersections with the most crashes as the initial locations for the cameras. They include Cerrillos Road at St. Michael's Drive, at St. Francis Drive, at Richards Avenue and at Zafarano Road. Along with those fixed cameras, a proposal from Redflex would also provide one mobile camera unit that can be used to catch speeders.
The Santa Fe Police Department is tasked to give a monthly report about the effectiveness of the program, including the types of accidents reported at the intersection. One reason for that plan is to determine whether rear-end collisions increase as a result of sudden stops.
Voting in favor of the issue were Councilors Trujillo, Chris Calvert, Carmichael Dominguez, Rosemary Romero and Rebecca Wurzburger. Those casting votes against were Councilors Miguel Chavez, Matthew Ortiz and Patti Bushee.
Ortiz said he based his vote partly on the fact the program, as proposed, would impose a burden on only those who pass through certain intersections and does not guarantee a public-safety benefit. Chavez said he heard opposition from "more than a minority" in the community. Bushee said she was also not convinced the program would perform as expected.
Contact Julie Ann Grimm at 986-3017 or jgrimm@sfnewmexican.com.