Red light cameras catch police in Iowa

[Liberal_in_LA]

Red light cameras catch police in Iowa
6 officers have been issued letters of discipline
Updated: Tuesday, 29 Jun 2010, 2:22 PM EDT
Published : Tuesday, 29 Jun 2010, 2:22 PM EDT

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) - Traffic cameras have snapped 26 local patrol cars speeding and running red lights in eastern Iowa.

Cedar Rapids Police Chief Greg Graham says six officers have been issued letters of discipline because they didn't have their patrol car's lights and sirens operating when they were speeding to a call.

He says five were not violations and that the remaining 15 instances are under review.

Cedar Rapids police also have notified Marion police and the Linn County sheriff's office of possible violations by their personnel, and are investigating infractions by city buses and a garbage truck.

Marion Police Chief Harry Daugherty says the authorities must be "consistent and show no favoritism."


http://www.woodtv.com/dpps/news/strange/red-light-cameras-catch-police-in-eastern-iowa-ob10-jgr_3460920

[Angry Dragon]

1. That sounds like a fair man ........ glad to see it

[d_r]

2. "five were not violations"

OK. See, the way it works here, if the camera snaps your picture you are guilty, there is no recourse or due process. If it takes your picture, you get a bill in the mail. But somehow, in this case of 26, five were not violations. Is this because they were responding to an emergency? Because it doesn't seem like those should have been included the 26 in the first place.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. Most likely and most likely

what is known as a SILENT response, or Code 2.

As a paramedic I did that a few times... Hell going to a shoot out we turned all our lights, and I mean headlights too, about a kilometer from the scene.

Yes I did this in a country where we went all the way to the scene.

[d_r]

7. ohhh I see, thanks for explaining that

[petronius]

6. The way I read it was that of the 26 total photos of police cars, six were actually

legitimate except that they neglected to turn on the lights. By implication, the other five really ran the red and the camera functioned properly, but they had their lights on for an appropriate reason. Unless, of course, the cameras do snap drivers doing legal things, and the chief knows it.

I'm also guessing that the ones 'still being investigated' are the ones who blew the red for no valid reason...

[IDemo]

3. Not in Iowa, but I have seen cops not on an emergency blow through red lights

And one morning a few years ago, witnessed two patrol cars that had just left the HQ parking lot drag race to a nearby donut shop.

[intheflow]

8. I've seen a lot of cop cars driving normally, but the light turns yellow,

the flashers and siren goes on, they blow through the red light, then turn off the emergency equipment and drive normally again. surely they have not all had calls right as the light turned red and then had their calls canceled the second they were through the intersection. I've just seen it happen far too often in every state I've lived in (Massachusetts, Connecticut, Mississippi, and Colorado.)

[Fastcars]

4. I would be willing to bet...

That instances of patrol cars caught running lights in the future will be deleted by the company responsible for operating the system. If not the cameras will be taken down.

Traffic laws are for those of us without badges.

[slampoet]

9. They would catch 26 per day per intersection in Providence. I have seen a cop turn on his flashers

to run a red light and then turn into get a doughnut two blocks later. No word of a lie.

[leeroysphitz]

10. Does this mean that cops are supposed to follow the law? Who'd have thought?