THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 2008
Chief In Favor Of Red Light Cameras
Des Plaines Police Chief Jim Prandini will recommend the implementation of a red light camera enforcement system to the city council on Monday, March 17.
A Tuesday, March 4 memo obtained by the Journal authored by Prandini and addressed to City Manager Jason Bajor recommends the implementation of an automated red light enforcement system in Des Plaines.
Prandini will present the information in the attached report for consideration by the full city council at the Monday meeting.
Prandini was convinced after attending a meeting at the headquarters of Red Speed Illinois, who maintains and operates camera enforcement systems in many Northwest suburbs with Red Speed officials, Cook County Commissioner and Elmwood Park Mayor Peter Silvestri and about 100 suburban municipal officials.
Though Prandini said in his report that the primary reason to implement the system is safety, he outlined the financial windfalls in Chicago and other suburbs that have the system in place.
Prandini's report said the City of Chicago expects to earn $50 million from 69 cameras for 2008. Naperville is expecting $2 million from the system and Rosemont raised $60,000 from two intersections in only four months.
Prandini points to U.S. Dept. of Transportation data showing a 65% drop in the running of red lights at intersections where camera enforcement systems are in place.
Prandini told the Journal he was also encouraged by a bill in the State Legislature that would allow cameras at railroad crossings.
Ald. Pat Beauvais (1st) said she had not read the report and generally supports the measure based on the information she has learned since the a proposal was first introduced to the Public Safety Committee she chairs early last fall but still has some concerns.
"I still need clarification on the driver ID," said Beauvais, referring to a provision in the state law, introduced to avoid racial profiling, that does not allow an image of the driver to be captured by the cameras.
Currently, the owner of the car is liable for the violations.
Red Speed Illinois officials say that a driver is responsible for their car in the same way they would be for a parking ticket.
Beauvais is also concerned that the camera system may actually contribute to accidents if a driver slams their breaks to avoid a ticket causing a rear end collision.
Though no company has been chosen for the system, Red Speed Illinois has the majority of the contracts in communities who have implemented it. Red Speed has made presentations on their system to Des Plaines.
Red Speed's system uses sen sors in the ground and cameras to identify motorists running red lights.
The license plates of ve hicles are matched with the owner of the car and citations are mailed to the owner.
Company officials say there is a 1.8 second grace period built in before it will trigger the system.
Rental car companies are compelled by the law to turn over records on renters of cars who are caught by the system.
Tickets are treated administratively like a parking ticket with fines of $100 per violation, a fine that is doubled if not promptly paid.
Part of the proposed ordinance allowing the system in Des Plaines would create a civil hearing system to adjudicate the tickets.
Tickets are treated like parking tickets and will not be shown on a driver's record until they acquire five or more unpaid tickets.
Once a driver reaches that point the information may be forwarded to the Secretary of State who may suspend the driver's license.