Private Contractors Running Speed Traps in Missouri

[ronpaulhawaii]

The use of free-standing speed camera's was struck down, so the parasites are trying this work-around.

http://fox2now.com/2017/03/09/fox-files-finds-security-officers-running-secretive-speed-enforcement/


ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MO (KTVI) – Fox 2 News has learned of a secretive speed enforcement operation that running across St. Louis County. Security officers are photographing your plate and mailing tickets. ... The village is currently policed by St. Louis County authorities. Chief Jon Belmar was surprised to learn of the secretive operation and offered blunt criticism, calling it “a money grab.” ...“To shoot all that down merely by hiring a security company to run radar and mail people tickets, it’s ridiculous, it’s unethical, it’s immoral,” Belmar said. “It oughta be illegal.”...Fox 2 News also learned this operation is now in several other municipalities. However, the man in charge, John Baine, will not say where.

[Suzanimal]

I'm confused. Who hired the security company?:confused:



“If Uplands Park is in a bad situation, they need to be open honest and upfront to the people so that they can get the taxpayers to be protected with real police officers,” Willis said.:rolleyes:


Baine would not agree to talk on camera, but by phone he said, “We would not be out here if it was not legal and constitutional.”

FFS...

[devil21]

^^^^^^
Video said city hall rep said city attorney would provide the contract to the news crew so presumably hired by the city government.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

You can trash camera tickets in certain Southern California areas without much risk or reprisal. I read an article this spring that said Los Angeles County made it a bottom priority. That is because a lot of people were not paying and the tickets were too costly to pursue. It was too tough for them to meet the 6th amendment requirement. I would guess a lot of this applies to other areas.

Here are some excerpts from the legal publisher NOLO. They are commenting on red light tickets, but a lot applies to other camera tickets.



Excerpt:

At a trial, the government (whether represented by the police officer or a prosecutor) must present evidence on how the device works and that it was working properly on the day the citation was issued. The prosecution must also present the camera’s photos showing the vehicle’s license plate and the driver, along with the driver’s license photo of the vehicle’s registered owner.

If the images are clear, you can consider mounting the following defense: If no employee from the company that maintains the red light camera device shows up to testify, you should object to the photos being admitted into evidence, saying, “Your Honor, since no one has appeared to authenticate the photographic evidence, I object to such evidence for lack of foundation.” If the photographs are excluded, there is no evidence to convict you.





http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/free-books/beat-ticket-book/chapter7-3.html

[phill4paul]

Issuing tickets is one thing. That "private" security company would be more than welcome to try and collect.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

Looks like these pricks are searching the world to steal money.



Redflex Reports $26.2 Million Loss
Australian red light camera provider continues its downward financial spiral.



Redflex losses

The red ink has not slowed at Redflex Traffic Systems, the troubled photo enforcement firm. In documents filed with the Australian Securities Exchange on Tuesday, the Melbourne-based company admitted its losses for the first half of the fiscal year swelled to $32,961,000 before tax, or $26,262,000 after taking into account tax writeoffs.

Overall revenue dropped five percent to $4 million from the previous year's results as more and more cities decided to stop using red light and speed cameras entirely. Declines were sharpest in the United States, where revenue dropped 8.9 percent.

"The decrease in revenue was primarily attributable to a number of contract terminations in the USA," Redflex chairman Adam Gray wrote. "Our contract renewal rates remain strong and the terminations are generally the result of the cessation of the photo enforcement program in a particular locality, not losses to our competitors."

The company also recovered some money by firing employees, but layoffs were not enough to cover the $25.3 million cost of settling the legal case against the company in Chicago, Illinois. The company faced potential damages as high as $383 million after being caught distributing bribes to Windy City officials to guarantee that it would win Chicago's lucrative photo ticketing contract.

After having been burned in its US operations, Redflex is looking elsewhere for expansion.

"The Americas business has commenced developing new revenue streams in new markets (Mexico and Latin America) and new products (hand-held speed cameras)," Gray wrote. "The Americas business has commenced developing new revenue streams in new markets (Mexico and Latin America) and new products (hand-held speed cameras). Additionally, opportunities to further expand in the Canadian photo enforcement market continue to be pursued and delivered."

Even so, the company's operations outside North America grew at a mere 0.6 percent. In the event that new options do arise, Redflex secured a $10 million loan to cover working capital needs. The company insisted it would remain a viable part of a photo enforcement industry set to generate $4 billion in revenue by 2021.



http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/51/5160.asp