DeLand plans for red-light cameras

By Jennifer Horton
BEACON STAFF WRITER

posted Nov 10, 2008 - 2:56:08pm

Red-light cameras were back in the spotlight at the Nov. 3 meeting of the DeLand City Commission.

Deputy Police Chief Bill Ridgeway told commissioners he has researched five companies that install the cameras, which are designed to photograph drivers who run red lights.

City officials are thinking of installing the cameras at:

• Woodland and International Speedway boulevards

• Amelia Avenue and International Speedway Boulevard

• Woodland Boulevard and Beresford Avenue

• New Hampshire Avenue and Woodland Boulevard

• New York Avenue and Woodland Boulevard

Armed with the video evidence, police may charge the drivers, even if the police don’t witness the violation.

DeLand Police expect the income from tickets will cover the cost of the equipment.

“Violators pay for the system, not taxpayers,” Ridgeway said.

Red-light cameras would be mounted on private property, with the cameras trained on intersections. The company that provides the equipment watches the tape for red-light runners.

When an offense occurs, the video is sent by the vendor to the DeLand Police Department. An officer reviews the footage and determines if a citation should be issued. If so, the officer pushes a button, and the vendor mails out a ticket.

“One of our traffic officers will be responsible for reviewing the Web-based video,” Ridgeway said. “We don’t think it’s going to be overly burdensome.”

The City Commission will determine how much the fine should be for running a red light, and the vendor will either take a cut of that, or charge a monthly service fee.

Ridgeway said red-light cameras cost less than using officers to sit at intersections and watch for violators.

“Any time you do any type of detail, you use a plethora of people,” Ridgeway said.

Reducing the number of people who run red lights will increase safety, too, he said, adding red-light runners can create right-angle crashes or T-bones, when the hood of one car smashes into the side of another.

Ridgeway’s report to the commission suggests a trial period to help educate motorists about the new cameras. Warnings, not tickets, would be issued during this period.

All five vendors Ridgeway checked with have opt-out clauses. If the systems aren’t working for DeLand, the vendors will come and remove their equipment.

The three intersections inside city limits with the highest incidence of right-angle crashes are Woodland Boulevard and International Speedway Boulevard, Amelia Avenue and International Speedway Boulevard, and Woodland Boulevard and Beresford Avenue.

In addition, Ridgeway suggested installing the cameras at New Hampshire Avenue and Woodland Boulevard because of the middle-school student who was killed crossing the street in 2007, and at New York Avenue and Woodland Boulevard, because of the number of violations at that light.

Ridgeway said this isn’t Big Brother; the cameras will only photograph the backs of cars.

“We’re not looking to capture the driver,” Ridgeway said. “The photos are taken from the rear.”

The registered owner of the car will be responsible for the ticket, and Ridgeway said if someone is driving your car and runs a red light, “I’d say the owner needs to get whoever was driving his car and get them to pay the citation,” he said.

City Attorney Darren Elkind said this could be enforced like parking tickets, with past-due citations sent to a collection agency.

Mayor Bob Apgar said installing red-light cameras could make people more conscious of what they’re doing.

Commissioners directed staff to move forward to create an ordinance that would implement a red-light-camera pilot program.

— jen@beacononlinenews.com

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