When the city of Santa Ana announced the other day it was filing for divorce from sometimes-notorious red-light camera giant Redflex Traffic Systems, that meant only two of Orange County’s 34 communities still were employing the controversial, mysterious and selectively profitable devices.
Garden Grove and Los Alamitos are the survivors.
Santa Ana concluded the cameras were a waste of time – the city netted a miniscule $291,000 over a five-year period. Worse, it lost $1 million over a three-year period.
Garden Grove, one of the first to sign up, soon may follow Santa Ana.
Oh, yes, and then there is Culver City, one of Redflex’s favorite vigorously committed clients. Culver City, it declares periodically, loves red-light cameras more than Burton loved Taylor or himself.
Culver City isn’t budging, either, and someday may be the last community standing for the cloudy concept.
Even though the city’s take from expensive red-light tickets is skinny, City Hall is not even close to being dissuaded.
Even though the evidence that red-light cameras are beneficial is skinnier than the city’s take, the decision-makers are not budging.
As recently as this morning, Vice Mayor Andy Weissman affirmed City Hall’s resolute position.
“On more than one occasion, the City Council has gone on record saying we believe red-light cameras serve an important public safety purpose,” Mr. Weissman said.
“We are not interested in pulling them out.
“There are no plans. There are no discussions. There would not appear to be any impetus on the part of the Council to revisit the issue.”
Chief Financial Officer Jeff Muir said the city collects a modest “about $150” from each $500 ticket.
The Police Dept. swears that Culver City is safer since it adopted the red-light camera theology around the turn of the century.
However, and this may be the most fascinating statistic of all, cops have been unable to demonstrate their root claim that red-light cameras have made Culver City streets safer.
They have not, however, been able to produce numbers upon request.