Red Light Cameras coming up short

By the time the month of May ends, Lacey Police Chief Dusty Pierpoint thinks the city will have issued about 100 warning tickets to people who have run the red light and were picked up by the red light cameras at Sleater Kinney and Pacific Avenue.

Starting on Sunday, June 1, there will be no more warning tickets.  Everyone who runs the red light at that intersection will be issued a $124 ticket.  The ticket will arrive in the mail several days after the infraction.

But, if current trends hold up, Chief Pierpoint said, the number of violations  would be less than the city had predicted or expected.   

The city currently pays a private firm, American Traffic Solutions, $9200 each month to operate and monitor the cameras.  If the trend of 100 violators each month continues to hold true, the city will make about $10,000 a month after appeals and court rulings.   With the time of the police officer who reviews each ticket added in, the income from the tickets will barely be able to meet costs.

No one is certain why the income from the red light cameras is lower than anticipated.  The chief thinks that construction on Sleater Kinney has removed many vehicles and has caused others to slow down. 

The City of Lacey will monitor the income and determine if it is worthwhile to continue to pay for red light camera monitoring at the Sleater Kinney and Pacific Avenue intersection.   The city has the option of getting out of the contract or even of moving the cameras to a different intersection.