http://timesnews.net/article.php?id=9021571

Harris: No to red light cameras

By Brad Hicks
Erwin Bureau Chief
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ERWIN — It was last June when a Unicoi County man’s vehicle was stolen.

While driving the stolen vehicle, the car thief, who was later arrested and convicted, apparently ran a red light in Morristown — a traffic signal that was equipped with a red light camera.

The theft victim received a ticket in the mail a few days later from the Morristown Police Department seeking payment of a $50 citation, Unicoi County Sheriff Kent Harris said. The man attempted to work with the department, including sending over the theft report, but he later received a collection notice from an Ohio-based company for $103.50 when the citation went unpaid.

It was at this point that the man sought Harris’ help in resolving the matter, the sheriff said. It was Harris’ first dealings with the cameras, but it was not a good first impression, he said.

Harris said after speaking with representatives from and contacting the collection agency several times, he was advised the man’s case had been closed. Prior to this, the man was ready to pay the fine for a crime he didn’t commit, Harris said.

"Imagine that," said Ken Potter, an investigator with the Unicoi County Sheriff’s Department. "You’re the crime victim and then you get victimized by that camera and you were at home. You weren’t even driving the car."

This situation is an example Harris gives as one of the reasons he is opposed to traffic cameras — which includes speed and red light cameras. And several others within his office feel the same as the sheriff.

Capt. Rick Butler, who also is a 3rd District county commissioner, said he intends to present a resolution to the County Commission at April’s meeting to oppose the installation of such devices in Unicoi County.

"I’m going to do my best to push it through," Butler said, "because I don’t think it’s fair."

Like others, Butler feels the cameras may not always tell the whole story. Citations for violations caught on camera are only sent to whomever the vehicle is registered, he said.

"It don’t show who’s in the vehicle, it don’t tell you who’s in the vehicle," he said.

Harris said although he is opposed to the devices, he in no way advocates the breaking of traffic laws, adding that if he witnessed someone running a red light in Erwin they would get a ticket. The same goes for speeders in the county, he said. However, the sheriff said in some instances there are extenuating circumstances that lead motorists to run red lights or speed, such as medical emergencies, that the cameras cannot detect but an officer present could.

The cameras, Harris feels, also go against Tennessee’s constitution, which essentially states misdemeanor offenses must be committed in the presence of a law enforcement officer.

"Even though we don’t have them here, I’ve had a lot of complaints on them," Harris said of the cameras. "I just think that when you do a misdemeanor arrest, it’s supposed to happen in your presence."

Potter agrees, adding that cameras also prohibit violators from facing their accusers and also prohibit violators from cross-examining evidence against them.

"How are you going to cross-examine a camera?" Potter said.

Speed cameras, Potter said, do little to deter the crime they are in place to stop. He said violators may be caught by the cameras, but won’t be cited until after the offense has occurred.

"Going through that is not going to slow you down," he said. "You’re not even going to know that you’ve been caught."

Harris said he is concerned the emphasis, particularly among companies overseeing installation of the devices, is on revenue rather than safety.

"I can’t see where it benefits other than a money-making thing," Butler said.

An officer stationed at a problem area or intersection would serve as a revenue generator, Harris said, and would also have an immediate impact on safety that cameras cannot provide.

"If it’s that big a problem, he’s going to generate revenue and also he’s going to be there for safety," Harris said. "It’s going to slow people down with his presence."

http://timesnews.net/article.php?id=9021571

Harris: No to red light cameras

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