Red Light Camera News Mt Juliet Refuses to Get RID of ATS SCAMERAS. COST TOO MUCH to break contract!
Camerafraud had this observation: "Tennessee town wants out of scamera contract. ATS will charge them $750,000. Town wants to stop the gimmick of ticketing right turns on red. ATS will charge them $33,000 if they do that. When you make a deal with the devil..."
BAN THE CAMS NOTE: THAT IS $33,000.00 PER MONTH for ATS to STOP CITING FOR NON DANGEROUS RIGHT TURNS ON RED
http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=13146369
Mt. Juliet Votes Against Eliminating Red Light Cameras
Posted: Sep 13, 2010 5:53 PM EDT
Updated: Sep 14, 2010 12:20 AM EDT
Mt. Juliet Debates Red Light Cameras
2:47
by Mark Bellinger
WILSON COUNTY, Tenn. - Mt. Juliet commissioners have voted against a resolution that would have gotten rid of the city's red light cameras.
Mt. Juliet Mayor Linda Elam introduced the resolution at Monday night's meeting, but she was the only one to vote for the measure. Two other commissioners voted against, and two others abstained.
Elam maintained the cameras were not being used as advertised when the city commission approved them last year. The cameras have captured hundreds of violations including a few accidents.
Police said it's indisputable proof the drivers are breaking the law. Since January, cameras have been capturing drivers running red lights at five intersections.
"I voted for the cameras, and it's a vote I very much regret now," Elam said.
Elam said too many people are being ticketed for not stopping completely after turning right on red.
"The people are outraged by these cameras. They don't feel they're fair and I feel they're over enforced on right turn on red specifically," said Elam.
The reason commissioners did not vote for the resolution: getting rid of the cameras would not have been cheap. The city signed a three year contract with American Traffic Solutions last year. Officials in the city finance department said it would cost $750,000 to get out of it.
The company gets a commission for every ticket written.
"It's in their best interest to write a ticket for a right turn on red after a stop," City Commissioner Ed Hagerty said.
Hagerty said he won't vote to eliminate the cameras because of the cost, but he's in favor of restricting the enforcement.
"A case could be made that we would not violate our contract, but we could certainly not enforce the right turn on red aspect of the red light cameras," said Hagerty.
A spokesman for the police department said they review the video and don't issue citations unless there's a clear violation.
"You know the TCA says you will come to a complete stop," City Commissioner Ted Boyd said.
Boyd is a former police chief in Mt. Juliet. He said it's too late to get out of the contract and he will not encourage anyone to break the law.
"What's going to happen when an accident happens? We may be liable on that," Boyd said.
Elam disagreed. She said if police can use discretion on a speeding ticket and not issue a citation for going 38 in a 35 mile per hour zone they can do the same when it comes to turning right on red.
City officials said American Traffic Solutions was willing to renegotiate the contract to eliminate citations for right turns on red, but the company wanted $33,000 a month in compensation. At least one city commissioner told NewsChannel 5 that's unacceptable.
Subscribe to this comment's feedwritten by C. Brown , September 15, 2010
Who in Mt. Juliet negotiated that contract with the vendor? There should have been an escap clause of termination for convenience stipulation. Did the city at least look at other TN municipalities' contracts to see how they are written.
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