Citizen needs answers

Hope you can give us some answers here. Concerning the red light cameras in Lakeland, the paper said:

A private company will operate the cameras and will forward images of possible

infractions to LPD. The police will decide on what's an infraction and what isn't.

The tickets can be contested at the city's Code Enforcement Board. People who want to fight a code board decision can appeal to Circuit Court.

The private company hired by the city will operate the cameras, provide the images of license plates and be paid a percentage of the ticket money. It's uncertain whether the city will be required to provide an initial investment in buying the cameras.

The only good news for people who are convicted: no points on their driving records.

Lakeland Police Chief Roger Boatner said he wants the red-light cameras to act as "another tool in our tool box."


My questions:

1. Which one of you officers have the time to sit and go through photos and/or video tape to determine who gets a ticket.

2. Which one of your officers is going to run a check and verify the mailing address and other info on the driver.

3. Who is going to mail the tickets?

4. Which officer is going to go to every court hearing under subpoena and testify in all the contested cases?

5. Aren't you all facing staff shortages and possible layoffs at LPD?

6. Aren't you all too busy fighting crime without dealing with this crap?

I'd rather have you on the street doing real police work and writing real tickets, not sitting in court all day testifying for photo citations.

7. One more question...can't you get rid of some of these ridiculous leaders making these decisions?

to the above listed citizen.....can you apply for chief, you will get many vote's from officer's....and start at the third floor and work your way down.

Citizen, why are you asking cops questions like this, cops don't make these decisions, administrators do. Ask the Chief or City administrators.

One other question. I assume you are mailing the violation to the registered owner of the vehicle. What if someone else is the driver. Does the owner get stuck with the ticket? If we decide not to pay, will the board put a warrant out for our arrest? Put a lean against my house? Send code enforcement officers to harrass us?

let's hope they do, then maybe you won't loan your car to an idiot

With an answer like that...I guess you would be the idiot I wont loan anything too.

you see, here is where you lashed out at me, when your anger should really be aimed at your loser son, or is it your loser boyfriend, you know, the one without a car, the one that borrows your car and runs red lights.
Bottom line, be responsible for your vehicle.

LOL..wow. I see you are well acqainted with losers. Unlike you, I try to help people if I can. I guess that is why I became a cop. Sounds to me like you need to look for another job...if you indeed work here????

Lets make it simple, There are so many red light runners the city won't have any problem funding someone to review the photos, run the tag and get a name and address. I'm sure most of it will be computerized. I'm sure it will be one low paid cop and a low paid non sworn employee. For court, cops are allready in court all day testifying for people who don't pay traffic tickets, whats the differnce? At the end of the day I'm sure the city will be making a nice profit on this gig. If the citizens are against it, fight back by not running red lights.

you see, here is where you lashed out at me, when your anger should really be aimed at your loser son, or is it your loser boyfriend, you know, the one without a car, the one that borrows your car and runs red lights.
Bottom line, be responsible for your vehicle.


Like your officers are...I hear LPD is good at wrecking their own assigned patrol cars.

Lets make it simple, There are so many red light runners the city won't have any problem funding someone to review the photos, run the tag and get a name and address. I'm sure most of it will be computerized. I'm sure it will be one low paid cop and a low paid non sworn employee. For court, cops are allready in court all day testifying for people who don't pay traffic tickets, whats the differnce? At the end of the day I'm sure the city will be making a nice profit on this gig. If the citizens are against it, fight back by not running red lights.

If only it was that simple. I hate the red light running in Lakeland. I am for hiring more traffic cops on motorcycles and under-cover cars. I am for higher fines ($300) per event. The article says they are going to "time" the photos, not have them automated. Have you seen the "timing" of the lights downtown? They're terrible and clog up the streets. Have you ever seen the city make a good, informed decision on anything?

This will be another 90 million dollar loss that the city has concocted.

Hey this is hard economic times the city was going to loose 200 Mil. but with the budget issues they voted to only loose the 90 mil.

[Pitch Black]

It is my understanding the city has not had a cut in the amount of tax revenue it takes in from the citizens yet. Why has the city cut our budget and where has the money gone?