Foes of red-light cameras are having a field day in San Diego, where alleged snafus in the system have led to the shutdown of the city's 19 cameras and dismissal of hundreds of traffic citations.
San Diego has become the front line in the battle over cameras, which snap photos of motorists running red lights. Shutdown of the cameras and a slew of legal challenges to the city's photo-enforcement system have drawn national attention.
Not only is the credibility of red-light camera systems at stake, but also public safety.
Considering the number of deaths and injuries in accidents involving people running red lights, it would be unfortunate if mistakes and miscalculations made in San Diego's program threatened the viability of red-light systems in Los Angeles and elsewhere.
Certainly, it is cause for alarm that Lockheed Martin Corp., the camera vendor, acknowledged that the cameras' sensors were installed in the wrong place at three intersections, which could have led to errors and unfair citations.
The inaccuracies weren't discovered until a couple of tenacious lawyers began challenging the system on behalf of 290 ticketed motorists. They argue that Lockheed Martin, a private company, plays too big a role in the city's enforcement program and that making money has taken priority over saving lives.
Lockheed officials say the misplacement of sensors in San Diego was unintentional and deny that the company is making installation decisions based on the potential for revenue.
Nevertheless, complaints that the automated enforcement cameras are an invasion of privacy and are set to entrap motorists primarily to make money for cities and vendors have made their way to Congress. House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas) has called for hearings on the use of red-light cameras, dubbing them "Orwellian cash machines."
The whole red-light mess in San Diego could certainly trigger protests against the cameras in other cities. So far, though, officials in Los Angeles say they haven't seen a wave of motorists contesting citations prompted by the red-light cameras installed this year.
From Jan. 1 to June 15, the Los Angeles Police Department issued 4,863 citations based on red-light cameras at the five intersections that were tracked during that period. Of those citations, 119 were contested. Of the contested citations, 86 were upheld, said Sgt. John Gambill.
Indeed, officials say that what happened in San Diego could not happen in Los Angeles.
