Local City Government Passes Ordinance to Install Red Light Cameras

The past few days have been enormously distressing in our Country. But to add insult to injury while running errands the other day, I saw the headline in the local newspaper that the you on the city council have passed an ordinance to allow cameras at intersections in town. This is regretful and I requested that the council repeal this ordinance for these reasons:
- Their use is an invasion of privacy.
- They do not target drivers but rather vehicle owners.
- Private companies should not be generating profit and revenue directly, as a percentage, from enforcing City Code.
- Last month Circuit Judge Bagley in South Florida determined the devices are unconstitutional.
- Two years ago the Minnesota Supreme Court struck down red light cameras in their State.
- The National Motorists Association cite 5 studies that show accidents are not reduced at intersections with cameras and may increase accidents.
- Some of their studies concluded that the only benefit was increasing revenues to local governments. Such use is an abuse of governmental power.
- The AAA recommends increased enforcement and traffic engineering improvements as preferred over red light cameras.
- Not too long ago, FoxNews reported that the AAA announced that municipalities are abusing the use of red light cameras to increase revenue.
Perhaps rather than installing the cameras, the City should just install signs that photo enforcement is used for red light running without actually installing them and then issue cameras to City police officers.
Too many elected leaders at too many levels of government are overreaching their just authority. Please refrain from doing so as well.