PhotoCop busted in Legislature

A bill to allow technology that photographs scofflaw vehicles is bottled up. But the issue is before the courts.

By Mark Brunswick, Star Tribune

Last update: March 30, 2007 - 11:01 PM

A bill that would allow cities to use electronic cameras to target and ticket red-light runners appears to have stalled in the Minnesota Legislature.

Sponsors of the bill in both the House and the Senate say it is unlikely the measure will advance after being defeated in a House committee last week.

The bill has been pushed by the city of Minneapolis, which had such a program in 2005-06 until a judge struck it down, and was endorsed by a number of other municipalities. It would allow cities to use digital photos to record red-light violations. Tickets would be mailed to the owners of the offending vehicles.

Rep. Paul Thissen, DFL-Minneapolis, the sponsor of the House bill, said he was struck by criticism from divergent ends of the political spectrum over potential privacy issues linked to the PhotoCop technology.

'Feeling about privacy'

"This is an effective tool for making streets safe, but it was hard to get that point made," he said. "There is this feeling about privacy in this state from two different political sides that's really strong."

In Minneapolis, before the program was shut down in March 2006, cameras were installed at 12 problematic intersections and sensors watched for vehicles going through red lights. Cameras recorded three photographs of offending vehicles running lights and a 12-second video. Registered owners of the vehicles were sent $142 tickets.

In eight months of operation, accidents declined by 31 percent at the intersections.

Minneapolis was forced to discontinue its program after a judge ruled in March 2006 that it was not in compliance with state statutes. The city recently argued before the Minnesota Supreme Court in support of reinstituting the program.

If the court rules in the city's favor, the program could be reinstated, regardless of the current bill's status.

Mark Brunswick • 651-222-1636 • mbrunswick@startribune.com

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