Charlestown red light cameras will now issue actual tickets

After three years delay, cameras are now fully functional

By Will Collette

Cameras to catch drivers who run red lights are widespread nationwide and always controversial. There are those who believe they invade the privacy rights of motorists while they are breaking the law and endangering the lives of other drivers. 

There are others, like me, who think the cameras are one tool to help cut down on roadway vehicular homicide. In my view, there is no expectation of privacy when you use your driver’s license to drive your state-registered car down a publicly-funded roadway…and break the law, putting innocent people at risk.

Charlestown’s Colin Foote was killed at the intersection of Route One and West Beach Road in 2010 when Laura Reale, a habitual traffic offender, ran the red light. That sparked an effort to secure a contract to install red light cameras in Charlestown, a deal that costs the taxpayers nothing but might help to save lives through deterrence and punishment.

In 2012, the Town Council heard from two bidders and chose the worst one, Sensys, on the basis of false claims by the sales rep that the company was “Rhode Island based” and knew the area. They made this decision even though I provided the town with records showing that Sensys was a Swedish company with its US headquarters in Miami. It was a dead giveaway that Sensys was going to have trouble meeting their own hype when the Sensys sales rep got lost on his way to the Charlestown Town Hall and couldn’t get his Power Point presentation to work.

Anyway, we signed the deal and the cameras were to be installed forthwith at two out of four of Charlestown’s intersections with red lights – Route One and East Beach and West Beach Roads. Originally, all four red-lighted intersections - these two plus the lights at Route 216 and at Wildflower (at the Hitching Post) - were supposed to be covered, but we got two.

The cameras capture a photo of the car going through the light with information sufficient to allow Charlestown Police to make the final decision about issuing the $85 ticket to the owner of the car.

That was the plan. But clearly Sensys had no clue about how Rhode Island works and, to make a long story a little shorter, they found one unexpected hurdle after another to making the system work the way it was advertised. First, it took way longer to install the units. 

Then, once the units were installed, it took more time to get them to work - Sensys seemed to have trouble with the idea of trimming tree limbs, since the cameras can't see through foliage.

Then, Sensys got the cameras to go "live" in January but found they forgot the crucial step of getting approval from the state traffic magistrates to actually issue tickets. For months, the cameras could do no more than issue warnings - about 100 per month, far fewer than had been expected and not enough to actually cover the cost of the system. But, under our contract with Sensys, Charlestown is not liable for the losses. That's on those sharp and canny businessmen at Sensys.

The last hurdle was finally surmounted and, according to a news release from CPD Chief Jeff Allen, the system is now issuing real tickets. 

I really do hope these cameras help to cut down on the number of incidents of red-light running. Based on all that has happened to date - and the near impossibility that the system will make money for the contractor, these cameras may be outta here when the contract comes up for renewal.

That's because the system costs $17,400 a month. Since January, they've had  fewer than 100 "captures" per month, with around 40% of them being right-turns on red.would probably not authorize issuing the $85 ticket. CPD has the final say on whether a "capture" turns into an $85 ticket. If CPD OKs an average of 50 tickets per month, some percentage of those will be ignored (if the driver is out of state) or reversed in court. I doubt more than 25 tickets per month at $85 will actually get paid, or $2,125 in revenue against $17,400 in cost. So look for Sensys to make the earliest possible exit.

A complete copy of the CPD news release appears below.

Charlestown Police Department Press Release

In July of 2012 the town of Charlestown and Sensys America, Inc. entered into a contract to install Red Light Cameras at the intersections of East Beach and West Beach Roads at Rte 1.

The Red Light Cameras have been in operation since January 2015. All red light violations thus far have been issued as warnings to the registered owners of vehicles observed violating state law.

Starting this week vehicles that are observed going through these two red lights in violation of Rhode Island State Law will be receiving a pay by mail citation.

In our review of the violations to date, the police department has determined that many of the alleged violations are vehicles that are taking right hand turns without coming to a complete stop at the red light at the intersection of West Beach road and Rte.1. Although many in our state believe that “rolling through” a stop sign or red light to take a right turn is an acceptable practice, state law requires vehicles to come to a complete stop prior to taking a right turn. Therefore, the police department is asking all the motoring public to remember the basic rules of the road in order to make our roadways as safe as possible for everyone.

Jeffrey S. Allen
Chief of Police