More Photo Radar Tickets To Be Issued
DENVER -- Speed demons, watch out. Denver police, citing safety enforcement, said that they plan to issue 2,400 more tickets within the next month using their photo radar program. But critics said that their main goal isn't safety, it's to generate more money for other city programs, a local newspaper reported Thursday.
For years Denver's photo radar program has issued about 7,200 tickets a month with the aim of collecting "just enough" to pay for the program, the Denver Post reported.
But proponents of the radar program said that the police department shouldn't restrain itself from issuing speeding tickets for fear of making too much money. Any extra money left over after paying operational costs would go to a program not yet determined, traffic officials said.
Councilman Ed Thomas opposed the change, saying that people accepted the photo vans because officials promised that the program wasn't designed to generate money for the city, the Post reported.
Thomas later said that under the current program, 78 percent of the ticketed drivers paid up. "But if people believe that this program has become a cash cow, I'd expect that rate would drop dramatically," he said.
Last year, the program took in $3.78 million in $40 to $80 fines. Since April, a total of $976,000 was collected, the newspaper reported.
The program has taken about 12,000 photos a month. But only 60 percent result in tickets.
The rest are thrown out because they're not clear enough, or involve more than one vehicle, according to Gary Elley, a city budget analyst who proposed expanding the program.
Police estimate that the program could theoretically catch four times as many speeders as it does.
For years Denver's photo radar program has issued about 7,200 tickets a month with the aim of collecting "just enough" to pay for the program, the Denver Post reported.
But proponents of the radar program said that the police department shouldn't restrain itself from issuing speeding tickets for fear of making too much money. Any extra money left over after paying operational costs would go to a program not yet determined, traffic officials said.
Councilman Ed Thomas opposed the change, saying that people accepted the photo vans because officials promised that the program wasn't designed to generate money for the city, the Post reported.
Thomas later said that under the current program, 78 percent of the ticketed drivers paid up. "But if people believe that this program has become a cash cow, I'd expect that rate would drop dramatically," he said.
Last year, the program took in $3.78 million in $40 to $80 fines. Since April, a total of $976,000 was collected, the newspaper reported.
The program has taken about 12,000 photos a month. But only 60 percent result in tickets.
The rest are thrown out because they're not clear enough, or involve more than one vehicle, according to Gary Elley, a city budget analyst who proposed expanding the program.
Police estimate that the program could theoretically catch four times as many speeders as it does.
Copyright 2002 by TheDenverChannel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
