This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, March 20, 2009 - The executive board of the Missouri Police Chiefs Association says it has officially endorsed red-light cameras "as part of a comprehensive traffic safety enforcement toolbox that should remain available to reduce deaths and injuries on our roads."
About 40 chiefs on the board signed the resolution, which declared that “utilizing technology to allow for the re-allocation of resources to immediate and officer-required specific public safety issues should not be discouraged but encouraged and recognized as effective resource allocation.”
That decision puts the chiefs' group at odds with the St. Louis Police Officers Association, which earlier this month came out against the cameras. Among other things, the St. Louis police complained of city aldermen who weren't paying their fines after being snagged by red-light cameras, and cited the fact that the fines weren't earmarked for public safety programs.
The city police group's lawyer, Chet Pleban, also is at the forefront of the red-light camera fight. He is representing a couple from Fenton who has sued the city of Arnold over its use of the cameras.
So far, about 30 Missouri communities have deployed red-light cameras at some intersections. State Rep. Jim Lembke, R-Lemay, has been trying to get some sort of ban through the state Legislature.
In their resolution, the chiefs' group indirectly came out against Lembke's effort, by stating that "municipalities should retain local control over decisions about appropriate enforcement technology in their communities."
The chiefs plan to circulate their endorsement among state legislators.
