Colorado bill banning traffic camera advances

DENVER (AP) — A measure to ban red-light and speeding cameras in Colorado advanced Monday, but the proposal faces strong opposition from local governments and police.

A Senate committee approved the measure on a bipartisan 3-2 vote, referring it for a full debate in the chamber later. The idea to ban the cameras has been proposed before, but this is the first time the bill has passed its first committee. Legislative leaders are backing it, bolstering its chances of passing.

The bill would forbid cities and towns from using the automated traffic enforcement devices.

"These are about revenue, they're not about safety," said Sen. Scott Renfroe, R-Greeley, one of the sponsors of the bill.

Ten cities use traffic-enforcement cameras. If the bill were to become law, they would lose about $16.1 million in revenue from fines during the first year the cameras are banned.

The Colorado Municipal League, which represents more than 250 communities in the state, says it should be up to cities and towns to decide the matter on their own, and that the cameras are important to public safety. Several police chiefs testified in opposition of the bill.

"It truly reduces total accidents," said Cmdr. Dustin Varney with the Greenwood Village Police Department.

Ten states prohibit the use of photo radar or red-light camera enforcement or both, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

But traffic enforcement cameras are still widely used. According to the legislatures group, more than 400 communities in the country use red-light cameras, and more than 40 municipalities use cameras to enforce speeding limits.

Sponsors of the bill argue the cameras undermine drivers' due-process rights to confront their accuser.

"I believe that individuals have a right if we are being photographed, we have a right to be stopped by an individual," said Sen. Lucia Guzman, D-Denver, one of the bill sponsors.

Varney said the cameras are a useful resource for police departments that can't have officers at every intersection. He said Greenwood Village uses the cameras in places they think they can help prevent accidents.

"We do strategically put them where we need them, not where we just want to put them," he said.

He said people who are cited still have recourse and can appeal. Drivers can call the officer who approved the ticket from the camera, and they can go to the station to review the evidence captured on tape, Varney said.

"There's been times we've dismissed (the ticket) right there because they've brought valid concerns," he said.

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Read the bill:

Senate Bill 181: http://goo.gl/VybeAP