What do you think of the proposal for an outside agency to assess fines for traffic violators?
In Sunday’s Marietta Daily Journal, Lindsey Field detailed the anticipated approval by Cobb county commissioners of a five-year agreement with the Cobb School District and a private company, American Traffic Solutions, to allow ATS to process camera footage and mail $300 citations to drivers who pass a stopped school bus. The company would keep 75 percent of the revenue the first year, and lesser percentages thereafter. Read the full story here: http://mdjonline.com/view/full_story/19781373/article-School-bus-cameras-can-catch-drivers-who-illegally-pass–fines-might-follow?instance=home_lead_story.
Following is Larry Savage’s response to the proposal, which was circulated in an email Sunday afternoon:
I absolutely agree with protecting kids at school bus stops but I am deeply troubled by the solution that is about to be voted on.
As I understand it, the problem was that Cobb Police did not have authority to charge anyone for a violation that had been recorded by an automatic camera on a school bus. So what is the solution being considered? Grant enforcement authority to a FOR PROFIT company in California.
I strenuously oppose this solution. If we are going to use camera enforcement at all, the enforcement should remain in the hands of local authorities. Not only could Cobb Police handle this enforcement, the Cobb School District has its own Police department that could do this. Surely the school district police can be given the same authority as a FOR PROFIT company in California.
A FOR PROFIT company doing traffic enforcement based on camera images and assessing fines of $300, of which they keep 75% from 2,000 miles away. What could possibly go wrong? These people are not in business to make children safer. This is about money. PERIOD. Whether it’s the CCSD or the county government, it’s disgraceful to use children’s safety as an excuse to start up a cash cow. The obvious next step is to turn on the same company to install red light cameras, devices that are known to create accidents in the name of safety, but yield big bucks for government and the company behind it.
I encourage anyone reading this to contact your Commissioner and insist they vote NO on this matter.
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