Councilman Dennis Zine raises concerns over red light cameras

LOS ANGELES - Councilman Dennis Zine expressed concern today about the viability of the city's red light traffic camera program. The Public Safety Committee grilled LAPD and Department of Transportation representatives today before ultimately voting in favor of a three-month contract extension with the company that currently runs the city's red-light traffic cameras.

"The status quo is not acceptable," Zine said at the hearing.

The city controller released an audit last September that found the cameras are not placed at the most dangerous intersections and that the program has resulted in a net cost to the city of about $2.6 million.

The Police Department defends the program, saying there have been no fatalities at the 32 intersections around the city where cameras are placed.

LAPD Sgt. Matthew MacWillie told the committee that since the cameras were installed, there has been a 63 percent reduction in serious, red light- related traffic collisions and that serious injuries are down 18 percent, "so this program is doing exactly what it was intended to do."

Glenn Ogura, who has worked with the city Department of Transportation on the photo red light program since its inception in 2000, told the committee the controller's audit did not include 2010 data and unfairly included one-time costs approved by the City Council.

He said the cameras brought in about $4.4 million in revenue 2010 and will have made the city about $500,000 by the end of July.

The city pays

American Traffic Solutions about $250,000 per month to administer the program under its existing contract. That would not change under the extension.

Ogura told City News Service that the reason the cameras don't make more money is the Los Angeles County Superior Court's interpretation of the California Vehicle Code.

The code states that courts may place a hold on drivers' licenses and/or registrations for not paying tickets generated by red light traffic photos. "May, not shall," Ogura stressed. "All other counties from Ventura down to San Diego place holds."

The result is that about 56,000 citations worth up to $11 million from red light traffic photos in L.A. have not yet been paid, he said.

If approved by the full City Council, the month-to-month contract extension would be the fourth intended to give the city time to complete a process to select the next company to administer the cameras.

Three companies have applied, including American Traffic Solutions, which manages the cameras now, and Redflex Traffic Systems and Affiliated Computer Services.

The Police Department is set make its recommendation on which company to choose later this week.

The recommendation will have to be approved by the Public Safety Committee and the entire City Council.

"I would hope that if we do approve this ... that there is some coordination within the next three months with the courts to either get them on board or say they're not going to be on board and not deceive the public," Zine said.

Councilman Greig Smith, who chairs the Public Safety Committee, said he does not anticipate the council putting up with any more extensions.

"There's a lot of unrest about this whole thing. There's a lot of unhappy people, a lot of opposition building," Smith said.

Krista Allen Denise Richards Lori Heuring Melissa George Bonnie Jill Laflin