NMA California Alert: L.A. Police Commission Votes Unanimously to End Red-Light Camera Contract

OFF THE WIRE
L.A. Police Commission Surprises LAPD Officials by Voting Down Red-Light Cameras Dear NMA Member,
Yesterday --- June 7, 2011 --- was a very good day for motorists who commute through Los Angeles.  The City's Police Commission voted unanimously to not renew their red-light camera contract with American Traffic Solutions (ATS).  Unless the City Council overrides the Commission's decision within 10 days, the red-light camera program in the nation's second largest city comes to an end later this month.
We sent this alert to you over the past weekend, encouraging people to show opposition to the camera program by attending the Police Commission meeting.  Some were able to do so, including one member who traveled 200 miles round trip to attend the meeting and who called me excitedly right after the vote to pass along the great news.
Our sense was that three of the five commissioners were leaning toward a "no" vote, enough to kill the contract, but were very pleased to hear that the vote was unanimous.  My favorite part of the L.A. Times report about the outcome was this:
The unanimous vote by the five-member panel that oversees the LAPD came as somewhat of a surprise to police officials, who went into the meeting armed with a recommendation that the commission award a new three- or five-year contract to the company that has been operating the 32 cameras scattered throughout the city for  years.
There is no doubt that the City Controller Wendy Greuel's critical audit of the Los Angeles red-light program (released late last year) was a significant factor in the demise of the program.  The report pointed to 7-figure losses each year, largely a result of unpaid photo tickets, and stated "We found that the program cannot conclusively demonstrate that it has reduced traffic collisions."
But constant pressure by advocates like Jay Beeber and other members of the community let the Commission and City Council know that the red-light camera program was an unpopular one.
Well done, folks.  Within the next few weeks, short of an unusual move by the City Council to reverse the Commission's decision, Los Angeles motorists will have one less aggravation to worry about.
Gary Biller
National Motorists Association