The fourth amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects We, the People of the United States against subjective arrests and discretionary searches. The amendment reads, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause…” In this modern day and age, it also serves as the basis for laws against wiretaps and other forms of surveillance. State Sen. Kelli Ward, R-Lake Havasu City, believes that Arizona’s use of photo radar cameras violates this amendment, and she has sponsored Senate Bill 1167 in response.
SB 1167 will outlaw the use of red light photo enforcement and speed cameras throughout Arizona if successful. In this legislation, Ward expresses her desire to keep law enforcement “in the hands of trained law enforcement officers” and not at the mercy of digital cameras.
Arizonan’s have been subjected to the over-monitoring of public roads via camera traps since the late 1980s, even though the overwhelming majority of Arizona citizens oppose photo radar. Under the disguise of “public safety,” red-light and speed cameras are implemented by private, for-profit entities. Arizona is home to American Traffic Solutions and Redflex Traffic Systems, two of the nation’s largest electronic ticketing companies.
Opponents of SB 1167 have cited safety concerns as their reasoning for contending the bill. According to the grassroots organization Red Means Stop, the bill “puts drivers, passengers, cyclists and pedestrians at risk.” That being said, the statistics being used to challenge SB 1167 are debated. Additionally, it’s difficult to trust data that’s provided by cities receiving a financial benefit from electronic tickets.
As for the safety of the public, Sen. Ward and the majority of Arizonans aren’t buying it. In a recent interview, Ward stated that “there's actually studies out there that show that some of those cameras make things less safe, more accidents in those intersections where there are cameras.”
Contrary to what their websites state, ATS and Redflex are concerned about lining their pockets, not public safety.
I’m all for free markets, but the photo radar system in Arizona is a murky collaboration between government and the private sector. In addition, preying on people for financial gain is unethical. ATS and Redflex are nothing more than multi-billion dollar companies making bank off of your lead foot.
To make matters worse, ATS and Redflex have both been involved in numerous multi-million dollar lawsuits. ATS was ordered to pay back $4.2 million to New Jersey drivers for sending red-light camera tickets in cities where photo radar is illegal.
In 2013, Redflex tried to bribe a Chicago official with $2 million to keep the company’s contract with the city going for a little while longer. The contract Redflex had with the city of Chicago was the company’s largest, raking in over $80 million a year with electronic tickets. In true Chicago style, Redflex administered the bribe out of a deep concern for public safety (just kidding).
Concern for the safety of Arizona drivers is legitimate, but photo radar is not the solution. I stand with Sen. Ward in the position that law enforcement officials should administer tickets, not speed cameras. The responsibility of public road safety belongs in the hands of police officers, not digital cameras — and certainly not in the hands of the quota-driven companies who supply them.
Reach the columnist at Joan.Lebeau@asu.edu or follow @joanlebeau94 on Twitter
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Editor’s note: The opinions presented in this column are the author’s and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
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