Red-light cameras to go dark — at least temporarily
Contract ending, but may be renegotiated
Rio Rancho’s red-light cameras and unmanned speed-detection vans will be shut off to start the new year — at least temporarily.
The city’s Safe Traffic Operations Program, which includes cameras at two intersections on Unser Boulevard and four vans, is expected to end Sunday following the Rio Rancho Governing Body’s recent 4-2 vote not to extend the city’s contract with Redflex Traffic Systems for four more years.
After the vote, councilors Jim Owen and Dawnn Robinson recommended that the governing body and police department discuss the possibility of working out a new agreement with Redflex during a January work session. Mayor Gregg Hull agreed.
The governing body in 2010 approved a four-year agreement and two one-year options with Redflex to provide equipment for red-light and speeding monitoring. The contract ends Saturday.
City spokeswoman Annemarie García said the cameras and vans will be shut off on Sunday. No date to remove the equipment has been determined, she said.
The proposed new contract would have continued the city’s relationship with Redflex for “in excess of $500,000” and expanded the number of speed-detection vans to six.
The STOP effort hasn’t been without its share of controversy. While advocates argue the devices are important for traffic safety, critics often argue they infringe on individual rights, such as being unable to confront their “accuser” in court.
In June, the Rio Rancho Police Department reported that thousands of red-light citations issued for violations caught on camera at Southern and Northern boulevards have been ignored. Its report showed 35,050 violators had not paid their citations between 2011 and 2015. Fines owed to the city totaled $3.7 million.
Councilor Dave Bency said a new contract should include more speed-detection vans and eliminate the red-light camera program.
Owen said all discussion regarding a potential new contract should wait until the January work session.
“By rejecting this contract, we’re not basically rejecting the concept in terms of what we’re doing in the way of enforcement,” Owen said. “This is more of an issue of should we have more vans, should we get rid of the red light (cameras), and that’s a discussion I really believe that we need to, as a council, be in a work session.”
Everett questioned the timing of the contract’s vote, saying the time frame the councilors had was “extremely limited.”
“I’m not enjoying being in this position of all or nothing and nowhere to go — I’d like to know how we got to this point,” Everett said. “I don’t want to see this happen. It makes all of us look bad, I think.”