Earlier this month, our office wrote an article that discussed how Florida lawmakers were routinely passing new legislation that was primarily motivated by a desire to raise revenue. See: Money Problems Force Florida Lawmakers to Redefine What Constitutes a Criminal Offense.” The government’s rhetoric and “spin” always seems predicated on either the “public good” or “doing the right thing.” However, the truth of the matter is that their recent efforts are “all about the money.” Today, the local media revealed the latest money grab by St. Petersburg officials… nine new additional red light cameras. Not Surprisingly, Council member Bill Dudley justifies the move under the premise that the decision is motivated by increased “public safety.”
Foregoing Safety for Cash
In one year’s time, the City of St. Petersburg’s cameras have caught 36,185 motorists running red lights. After paying expenses associated with this new technological law enforcement tool, the city took home a profit of $707,226.00. The trouble is, that in the same time period, the number of rear end crashes at the camera site intersections jumped a whopping 44%. It appears that a significant number of motorists take on a very conservative driving style when approaching intersections that are equipped with the automated cameras. Rather than risk receiving a pricey ticket, they are slamming on their brakes at times that are unanticipated by following motorists who are then caught off guard.
Despite the clear statistics, and a number of vocal critics who appeared at the three hour long debate, the additional money generating cameras were approved by city council members. And just how did these elected officials justify their decision in the face of their own disturbing data? They didn’t justify their decision. Councilman Jim Kennedy told the press that “the job of the City Council is not to administer the day to day functions of the city.” Simply translated, that means they took a creative “end run” to let the Mayor have his way so as to avoid losing the significant additional revenue the cameras will generate.
Lawyers Who Defend Red Light Camera Tickets
We are lawyers who fight both Pinellas traffic tickets and Pinellas Red Light Camera Tickets. In January we timely provided you with a quick reference chart that outlined red light camera locations in St. Petersburg, Kenneth City, Clearwater, Largo,Treasure Island and Tampa. Thereafter, you learned how the lawyers in our office were defending red light camera tickets. See: Challenging Pinellas Red Light Camera Tickets Just Got Easier If you have received a ticket in Pinellas County, call us to discuss how we can help.
At Russo & Russo, we are Pinellas Attorneys who represent clients charged red light camera tickets and criminal offenses arising out of St. Petersburg, Clearwater, or other areas within Pinellas County. Former state prosecutors who can help!
Free Consultation: 727-578-0303
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Learn More About Criminal Defense Solutions: www.defensehelp.com
Helpful Pinellas County DUI info at : www.duistpetersburglawyer.com
Related Links:
St. Petersburg City Council Allows Expansion of Red Light Camera Program
How to Choose the Best Pinellas Ticket and Criminal Defense Attorneys St. Pete Allows More Red Light Camera (Video)
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