No Break for Police Caught on Red Light Cameras

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

In Baltimore, Montgomery County, Maryland, there’s a growing number of cameras set up to catch speeders and red light runners. They work well. They work regardless of the type of vehicle. The cameras can’t detect if the vehicle has flashing lights and a siren, so police have been getting snapped. There’s no “officer courtesy”, where a brother officer would be given a break.

The fine for going through a red light is $75 and speeding is $40. The police are crying foul.

Unless police officers and emergency personnel can prove they were responding to legitimate emergencies at the time of the photo, they’re being held personally responsible for the tickets. Two creative police officers were caught putting stolen license plates on their unmarked car.

Nonemergency officer speeding puts the public at risk and is per se negligence. Any tort cases resulting from nonemergency officer speeding could cost the city millions and the police department the respect of the citizenry. None of the Montgomery County officers that have been caught by the cameras have been responding to an emergency.

Police officers are not above the law.

H/T: The Baltimore Sun.