“I was really on the fence, but what sold me was the safety issue,” Isnardi said. “Everything I’m pulling up shows there’s an increase in accidents.”
To the applause of a smattering of residents in attendance, Isnardi said several studies she found, including from Greensboro, N.C., showed that rear-end accidents increase at camera-monitored intersections.
Deputy Mayor Milo Zonka said the goal is to prevent the more life-threatening broadside accidents at intersections, one of which he witnessed near his home over the weekend. He said he would rather implement the program and revoke it later if it doesn’t work than not try it at all.
“That person on the cellphone that runs that red light – they deserve that ticket,” Zonka said.
Adult education teacher and motorcyclist Aron Travis said he would prefer to see more police officers as opposed to cameras.
“I feel they are far too Orwellian for my taste,” Travis said. “A camera does not address the issue of why people are running a red light. If they are drunk, an officer can address that issue. If they are 102-years-old, they can address that issue. If they are 10-years-old they can address that issue.”
Kevin Aplin, director of the Brevard county chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said they don’t object to the cameras, per se, but to the vendor, Gatso USA, getting $30 from every $125 ticket written.
“That creates an obvious incentive to contractors to ‘game’ the system in order to increase revenue and, in turn, generates public cynicism and suspicion,” Aplin said. “Such bounty contracts make a mockery of the ideal of disinterested justice and undermine the pursuit of traffic safety.”
Aplin also expressed concern “about what we call ‘mission creep’ — that the data collected by these cameras will be used for purposes other than tracking reckless drivers.”
Gatso USA Vice President of Sales Paul Bazzano assured the council that the city of Palm Bay will own any and all data generated by the system.
The vote makes Palm Bay a leader locally in using this technology. Melbourne’s police chief has proposed putting the cameras in school zones and at busy intersections. And Cocoa Beach and Satellite Beach officials have discussed installing the cameras.
Palm Bay police Chief Bill Berger said there were at least 16 fatal traffic accidents in Palm Bay in 2007 — about one-third of which were from people running red lights.
After a contract is drawn up, Gatso USA, based in Beverly, Mass., will enter into a five-year agreement with the city at no charge. For the first six months, the company will provide its services for free. After that, the company will take $30 from every $125 ticket paid.
The city will not be indebted to Gatso for an unpaid tickets.
“The point is to prevent someone from getting a ticket,” Zonka said.
Contact Moore at 409-1423 or kmoore@floridatday.com.
