While surfing the web today, I came across this “open letter” to the people of Canton. The author “Quarterwave” of Chillicothe, Ohio has asked for this letter to be posted everywhere that concerned citizens can see it. He lives in Chillicothe, where Redflex and City officials have been stealing money from citizens with their red light cameras. It appears that the usual games were played in Chillicothe, such as shorter yellow lights as a condition of the contract, fixed traffic studies, ticketing LEGAL right turns on red lights, and REQUIRING THOSE TICKETED TO PAY A FINE BEFORE HAVING THE RIGHT TO APPEAL! They even had to go back to the contract and exempt volunteer firefighters who are operating lights and sirens from red light camera tickets. Common sense would say that a public safety vehicle (these volunteer firefighter vehicles are registered as such with the State of Ohio) while responding to an emergency would not get a ticket, but if Redflex can make more money, they will try anything.
Here is the text of the open letter.
People of Canton:
I live in Chillicothe, Ohio, and I wanted to share with you something you should be very concerned with today, you need to take action immediately.
First let me say that the opposition to this issue in Chillicothe does not advocate breaking the law, we feel that if you legitimately did something wrong, you deserve what the law provides.
However, reading that your city is in the decision stage of acquiring Redflex red-light camera systems, I must urge you to take action, research, ask questions and do anything your or your organizational power can muster to defeat and bar these device from your community.
In Chillicothe, the mayor and/or council were wooed by a Redflex salesman at a convention or seminar, and then the salesman came calling, and relentlessly inflicted their hardcore sales tactics to convince the city it had major traffic problems, obviously for the purpose of selling their profit-generating solution. Was there a problem? Not any worse that any other city in our state, and probably better, we do however; have our fair share of idiots on the road, including out of towners who are discourteous.
After presenting “facts” that were generated by Redflex, or provided as an (obviously not)“unbiased” outside study (which was funded by, or provided to Redflex, and weighed in their favor), the city council was lobbied to buy into this fiasco. Yes, I said lobbied. Redflex is so intent on placing their product it employs high level professional lobbyists to use any means necessary to strong arm municipalities into buying in.
The council quickly swept the measure through in record pace, unlike legislation we really need. This sparked much rumor that council and mayor were somehow incented to do this, or in other words, there was something in it for them. That remains to be proven, however the revenue generation alone, if kept under that table could make semi-heroes out of a mayor in short order for filling the piggy bank, but at taxpayer’s expense.
The cameras were installed and instantly there were many problems, for instance:
Although the city will refute it, there have has been an increase in the number of collisions at red light camera intersections, due to people short stopping at yellow lights, which are set short so the trigger happy cameras can produce more violations. The city has no data to prove the collisions went down, but says they did not increase, but again, no data.Traffic is erratic, because folks are scared of the lights. And local businesses are losing money due to folks shopping elsewhere to avoid this trap.
Elderly drivers have been confused, distracted, and temporarily blinded by the massive and intense burst of strobe light from the opposite facing camera flash if a driver coming the other way triggers a right on red, speed, or light violation.
The system tickets for LEGAL right on red turns, the council, under intense pressure, just this week agreed to throw out pending, and not ticket future, right on red turns, unless the speed was excessive or there was a pedestrian involved. They also agreed to not ticket volunteer fire, and EMS personnel using sirens and lights through the city to respond to emergency calls, and not ticket funeral processions. Those last two just amaze me.
It was found that a police officer from the city was not reviewing tickets, contrary to what was agreed upon by council. Tickets were just being mailed out without approval, or any logical and legal review.
This system is highly unconstitutional; you are guilty until proven innocent and must pay the fine, as well as an appeal fee before you can even argue your case. The court here refused to handle the cases or ticketing, so the tickets are not even legal violations, if you don’t pay they have to sue you in civil court. They cannot prove who was driving so the owner gets the ticket. It is more or less a forced “donation” to the city.
The council originally approved Red Light running tickets only, which in itself was probably a good measure. However the mayor was seemingly coerced into signing an amended contract to add speed traps, and right on red later on.
By contract agreement, the city was required to SHORTEN some yellow lights to allow for a QUOTA of tickets to be induced at these intersections, those light times being far under the national standard for same type intersections. If the city lengthens them now, they have to pay Reflex a penalty. That says a lot about their concern, they are only interested in revenue generation, and this is not about safety. Ohio law says the yellow lights must be LONGER than normal at these intersections, yet Chillicothe ignores the Ohio Revised Code. They also have refused to erect the proper signage. Again, proving that it is not about safety.
The measures of collusion, violation of public trust, conflict of interest and fraud go on and on; I encourage you to read on the internet about the cities that have to spend millions to get rid of these things after they took them. Redflex has thousands of lawsuits against it as a company.
Pure and simple – although cloaked nicely, these devices are NOT about safety, they are about revenue generation. Chillicothe’s cameras are producing an average of 300 tickets a day, in a year that adds up to $10.4 Million in fines, most are bogus and from entrapment, not from an actual, logical, and unlawful act. Half of the money goes to the Redflex people as their “tidy sum” to operate the cameras on behalf of the city; the city’s general fund gets the rest, NOT the safety services fund, where it belongs. So even in small Chillicothe, over $5 Million dollars are being sent overseas to Australian Redflex Traffic Systems.
People of Canton, don’t let yourselves be entrapped like this and have your money going out the window. Take action now and contact your city Council. Stop this mess before it starts. Chillicothe will now likely spend Millions of dollars to undo the bad decision it made. Redflex will vigorously defend it’s ironclad contract, but in just 30 days already over 3,000 citizens, standing up for their rights, have organized to put the issue on the ballot. They have also vowed to end the political careers of the Council and Mayor, in their next respective elections. Even if Canton officials tell you they won’t have these issues, you should not believe it. That’s what Chillicothe’s said too.
Please, show your elected officials who is in charge, and do not let them cast this net upon your city too. The smell of money entices officials in time of economic need, but this places tremendous burden on the tax payers, who are simply treated as subjects. No part of this charade is about public safety, so don’t let them tell you it is.