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Cops want candid cameras Photo by Steve Johnson Motorists who run red lights -- such as the driver of the minivan did at the intersection of McAndrews and Biddle Monday -- may get tickets thanks to a camera system that may be on its way to Medford intersections. Intersection cams are designed to nab red-light scofflaws By DAVID PRESZLER Cameras to catch red-light runners red-handed could be in place at Medford intersections by the end of the year. Medford police are still deciding which intersections will get the surveillance gear, which is triggered by sensors in the concrete and snaps photos of drivers who run red lights. Other issues, such as how to fund the program, are also still being explored. Sgt. Bob Hansen, who oversees traffic enforcement, says the cameras will help combat a serious problem. Officers usually write more than 100 tickets a month and suspect many more violations go undetected. "For every one we issue, there's probably a dozen that we don't catch," Hansen says. Medford is one of four Oregon cities chosen for a two-year pilot program to test the use of the cameras. The state Legislature approved the pilot this summer and the governor signed it into law July 23. The cities -- Medford, Beaverton, Bend and Portland -- can begin using cameras in October, though Hansen doesn't expect Medford to have its in place until around the first of the year. "So it's not like Big Brother is watching," Hansen says, "it only takes pictures of the violators." The camera would take pictures of the vehicle's license plate and of the driver's face. Violations would be mailed out with copies of photos so the driver's identity can be established. Officers also have to review the photos before a citation is issued. Hansen says that will give officers flexibility not to cite someone if there are mitigating circumstances -- such as another driver tailgating so closely that stopping would cause an accident. Hansen says cameras will only be used to detect clear-cut red-light violations. They won't be used to ticket drivers who break more subjective yellow-light standards, which require motorists to stop at a yellow light if it is safe to do so. Motorists will also get plenty of warning that the cameras are there. The program requires cities to post notices at the sites and at the entrances to the city that intersections are monitored by camera. Hansen says the idea isn't to see how many people the cameras can catch. "We're hoping that the possibility will make people obey the lights," he says. Four or five intersections in Medford will likely get the systems. Hansen says busy intersections such as Biddle and McAndrews roads or Eighth Street and Riverside Avenue are likely targets. However, he says officials still need to look at the logistics of each potential site. At Biddle and McAndrews, for example, the size of the intersection (two lanes in all four directions) could present some difficulties. Though the state approved the program, cities are left to fund it and Hansen says no money has been set aside for it yet. That leaves the city with two options: making a special budget request or contracting with a private company to provide the service under the police department's supervision. If an outside company is used, a percentage of the fines would go the city and a percentage to the contractor. Since the pilot only lasts two years and the equipment is expensive, Hansen says a private company could make more sense. Police officials will begin meeting with vendors and contract companies next month to evaluate the cost and other details. They plan to present the options to the city council this fall. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA