(Thanks to the www.motorists.org news section for the link)

http://www.ocregister.com/news/city-270993-contact-attorney.html

Published: Oct. 13, 2010
Updated: 3:28 p.m.

Orange council opposes red-light cameras

By EUGENE W. FIELDS
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

ORANGE – A city councilman is hoping to keep red-light cameras out of Orange.

Councilman Denis Bilodeau is working with the City Attorney’s Office to draft a law that would ban so-called red-light cameras, automatic cameras that take video of vehicles that run red lights.

“The companies that operate the cameras say they help saves lives,” Bilodeau said at Tuesday’s council meeting. “The real reason is to produce revenue for the city.”

Further, Bilodeau, running for re-election in November, said there isn’t a need for the cameras in Orange.

“You would only install them at a place where you have a high accident rate in terms of T-bone-type accidents, and we don’t have any intersections that have that kind of accident history,” he said. “I’ve already checked.”

Tuesday night, the council voted 5-0 to have the city attorney draft a proposed law.

Neighboring Santa Ana has 20 cameras, the most of any city in Orange County. In June, the Santa Ana City Council voted to add 20 more.

Last year, Santa Ana collected $374,000 above expenses in its red-light camera program, said Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna. He added that the cameras are an effective traffic-enforcement tool, in part because his department does not have enough officers to monitor all high-density traffic areas.
 
Anaheim, which borders Orange and also does not have any red-light cameras, has an initiative on the November ballot to forever ban the devices.

Orange Mayor Carolyn Cavecche said she isn’t interested in allowing a contractor to assist the police, despite the possible revenue.

“You’re bringing a private company into our city to do law enforcement,” said Cavecche, who is also running for re-election. “I’m not comfortable with that.”

Bilodeau said he wants the no-camera law on the books, whether or not he is re-elected.

“Given the city’s financial challenges, I wouldn’t want this council or future councils to try to rely upon red(-light camera) tickets to try to generate revenue,” he said. “If any vendors come and try to push forward a red-light program under the guise that it’s going to generate money for the city, I want it banned.”

City attorney David DeBerry said the proposed law could be ready for council approval by the first meeting in December.
Contact the writer: 714-704-3704 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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