SR-092507-8A~~~
City Council Report
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Santa Monica
City Council Meeting: September 25, 2007
Agenda Item: ~-
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Timothy J. Jackman, Chief of Police
Subject: Automated Red Light Enforcement
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that City Council proceed with a one year three intersection red light
automated enforcement pilot project.
Executive Summary
On March 27, 2007 staff was directed to evaluate red light enforcement technology and
determine if it is effective and fair. Statistical data has demonstrated a reduction of
accidents at intersections that are enforced through automation. A review of several
vendors and users has indicated improved technology since the City of Santa Monica
previously evaluated red light camera systems. Improvements have made red light
enforcement programs more effective through improved camera clarity; video review;
and less intrusive operational components at the intersections.
Automated red light enforcement was most recently presented to City Council beginning
in 1999. In 2000 the City Council approved, in concept, the implementation of a photo
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enforcement program for red light violations. In 2002 a recommendation was presented
to City Council to authorize entering a contract with a vendor.
Staffing for a red light program will require a minimum of one full-time police officer to
review all the potential violations; approve the citation issuance; testify in court; and
liaison with the vendor. The minimum annual staff cost would be approximately
$128,000. Start up equipment costs would include (but may be greater as additional
research is conducted); computer $2,400; photo quality printer $500; computer scanner
$1,000; police radio $5,000; and vehicle $35,000. The total personnel start up; not
including the actual photo enforcement equipment cost is $171,900 (this is strictly an
estimate until further analysis can be conducted).
Discussion
The Santa Monica Police Department is always looking for new methods to provide
enhanced safety to the public and meet the increased demands from the citizenry for
traffic enforcement and circulation. Population growth has added immeasurable traffic
loads on city roadways. Heavy traffic and congestion contribute to greater risk taking by
motorist in an effort to reduce their travel time.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that. in 2000 more than 2.8
million intersection-related crashes occurred -representing 44 percent of all reported
crashes. Motorists are more likely to be injured in red light violation crashes than in any
other type of crash. These numbers included about 8,500 fatalities (23% of total
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fatalities) and almost one million crashes with injuries occurred at or within an
intersection. The cost for intersection-related crashes is approximately $40 billion a
year (Federal Highway Administration, May 2002).
The Texas Transportation Institute, in a study released in January, 2005, found that
cameras do have a positive impact: that intersections equipped with the devices saw a
40 percent decrease in violations on average. They also found that the cameras had a
kind of "halo" effect, where nearby intersections also saw a drop in violations -Dayton,
OH, reported a 9% drop in accidents at all city intersections after installing a red light
program.
Santa Monica's accident rate for collisions caused by red light violations has averaged
4.5% of the total number of collisions over the past three years. For calendar years
2004, 2005, and 2006 the percentage of accidents where failing to stop for a red light
caused the collision were:
2004=4.3% (1857 total accidents; 80 caused by failing to stop for a red light)
2005=5.3% (1796 total accident; 95 caused by failing to stop for a red light)
2006=3.9% (1870 total accidents, 73 caused by failing to stop for a red light)
Red light photo enforcement is seen by law enforcement across the country as a viable
solution to the growing intersection traffic problem. Currently about 250 US cities have
red light photo enforcement programs. According to the Federal Highway
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Administration, Automated Enforcement Systems can help reduce the number of red
light running violations and vehicular accidents associate with red light running.
There are currently 20 local governments in California using automated red light
enforcement. Agencies in close proximity to Santa Monica include Los Angeles City
and County; West Hollywood; Beverly Hills; Culver City; Long Beach; Oxnard; Ventura;
and Garden Grove.
Unlike random .camera surveillance, photo enforcement is specific and detailed in
photographing intersection violations by providing photographic evidence of: (1) the
vehicle behind the violation line with the red light on clearly in the photo; (2) completion
of the vehicle traveling through the intersection with the red light in view; (3) a photo of
the license plate of the vehicle; (4) a clear photo of the drivers face (face only); and
some systems include; (5) a brief video clip of the full violation sequence to confirm the
completed violation. This photo system is not indiscriminate in nature, but captures only
the specific vehicles and drivers details as required by State law: Any passengers in
the vehicle are not contained in the photograph. In a report completed by the California
State Auditor in 2002, their legal counsel advises that a literal reading of the state law
limits the photographs taken by red light cameras for enforcing traffic signal violations,
however, some law enforcement jurisdictions have asserted that other legal principles
permit the use of the photographs in other criminal investigations. The Santa Monica
City Attorney would have to review the legal findings in this area in the event a red light
camera system is adopted.
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Once the violations are captured and processed, the violation photos and video, along
with DMV ownership information, is provided to the police department in an encrypted
and secured format, allowing a police officer to view the images and make the violation
determination. All violations must be approved by an authorized representative of the
City. The viewing officer verifies the violation and authorizes the vendor to print and mail
the citation, or rejects the violation and it is removed from the storage system. Only
those violations approved by the officer are sent to the violator as a citation.
Installation of red light cameras varies amongst vendors. Some require in ground loops
to be installed in the roadway while others require minimal invasive equipment that do
not require any roadway installation. The computer operating systems also vary from
large control boxes along the side of the road to small control boxes which mount on the
light pole. Depending on the type of system used, will depend on how visible or
obtrusive it is to the public.
Photo enforcement has grown throughout the nation and legislation is adapting with it.
New legislation has been introduced to help City's enforce laws through the use of
automated systems. The California State Assembly approved a bill (AB 801) that
prohibits the use or sale of products that prevent the recognition of a license plate by an
electronic monitoring device. The bill was primarily introduced as a means to combat
the use of products or devices that are used by vehicle owners to avoid being billed for
their use of toll road facilities, however, the text continues on to say, "The deployment of
these products would, of course, similarly foil the use of red light cameras or the photo
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enforcement of speed limits." This bill protects City's by forbidding products that are
intended to prevent license plates from being photographed.
Budget/Financial Impact
The 2002 California State Auditor report on red light programs indicated that most of the
local governments they visited (Fremont, Los Angeles, Oxnard, Sacramento, San
Diego, San Francisco, Long Beach) did not receive significant net revenues and some.
were operating with a cumulative deficit. However, all seven local governments
indicated that whether or not they were achieving a revenue source, they were still
meeting their goals of contributing to traffic safety.
The cost of operating a red light camera enforcement program will vary depending on
the number of violations. Equipment vendors vary in their cost and systems depending
on the options selected and the number of intersections equipped with photo
enforcement. Some vendors offer a "no cost" program whereby the cost for the
equipment is a flat rate and if the revenue generated from a particular intersection does
not pay for the cost of the equipment, the cost is adjusted to a break even amount or
moved to a different intersection. Current law forbids vendors from receiving a
monetary percentage of each citation issued and it must be based on a flat rate. Until a
vendor is selected the actual cost to the City is unknown. Staff will return with a cost
when a vendor is selected.
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Staffing for a red light program will require a minimum of one full-time police officer to
review all the potential violations; approve the citation issuance; testify in court; and
liaison with the vendor. The minimum annual staff cost would be approximately
$128,000. Start up equipment costs would include (but may be greater as additional
research is conducted); computer $2,400; photo quality printer $500; computer scanner
$1,000; police radio $5,000; and vehicle $35,000. The total personnel start up; not
including the actual photo enforcement equipment cost is $171,900 (this is strictly an
estimate until further analysis can be conducted).
Prepared by:
Captain Mark Smiley
Lieutenant Clinton Muir
Approved:
Timothy J.
Chief of P<
Forwarded to Council:
4~' G~
ont Ewell
Ci anager
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