Cardin Applauds Baltimore City Speed Camera Overhaul, Maintains There's Still Work To Be Done
January 8th—I applaud Baltimore City’s announcement that they will overhaul their speed camera program by installing state of the art speed cameras at all 83 fixed camera locations. Baltimore City, Mayor Rawlings-Blake, and Baltimore City Police Commissioner Batts have stepped up to do the right thing.
Even as Baltimore City embarks on this overhaul, my office continues to be inundated with letters from Marylanders aggrieved by erroneous speed camera enforcement statewide. While the City’s action is a step in the right direction, Marylanders time and again reiterate to me that they remain suspicious of the government’s ability to fairly enforce speed camera laws. In an era of increasing distrust in government, we must do more to earn the trust of the citizens we represent.
Towards that end, I remain committed to introducing legislation to audit speed camera programs statewide including requiring that all speed cameras come equipped with a verifiable mechanism so that citizens have a means of knowing their ticket is accurate and fighting a violation in court if they believe they have been wrongly accused. Additionally, my legislation will fine any speed camera operator $1000 per citation issued due to faulty speed monitoring systems.
I believe this legislation will make speed camera programs more transparent, fair, and accountable while keeping our schoolchildren, construction workers, drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians as safe on our roads and highways as possible. I hope the Governor and my colleagues in the Legislature will join me in supporting these important reforms.
Hotspitta
11:25 pm on Tuesday, January 8, 2013
I agree, people speed through these Baltimore streets like they don't care about life.
Sanchez
11:55 am on Wednesday, January 9, 2013
How are sales of your cd?
Sanchez
11:56 am on Wednesday, January 9, 2013
"Mayor Rawlings-Blake, and Baltimore City Police Commissioner Batts have stepped up to do the right thing."
Is exactly like a criminal who says they are repentant only because they were caught!
Janet Metzner
11:56 am on Wednesday, January 9, 2013
A comment by Sanchez has been deleted because it violates Patch terms of use policy.
Sanchez
12:15 pm on Wednesday, January 9, 2013
"Mayor Rawlings-Blake, and Baltimore City Police Commissioner Batts have stepped up to do the right thing."
What total nonsense! They were FORCED by the reports to do something! They would have continued to rob the drivers if not for the reporting on the scamera scheme by the Sun and others.
To do the right thing would be to REFUND all those millions in fraudulent tickets!
RARE MARYLAND INDEPENDENT
9:16 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
This could be a great thing for normal citizens. Now - they will actually DEFEND citizens. Not because it is the right thing to do, we know better than that, especially from a Cardin. But, they will instead go for the big bucks - $1,000 a pop from the speed camera operator.
It will be interesting to see the change of "TONE" as to the poor saps who were wrongfully ticketed. Now, the government will simply agree and take the big $1,000 pot per improper tickets and hit the operator.
Of course, good luck finding a speed camera operator to take on this risk - knowing the government can stick it to them.
Did hear on the radio a great idea - also acess a fine to the legislators who approve this (maybe $200 a pop) in order to compensate the citizens wrongly accused if the speed camera is in fact inaccurate. Mr. Cardin believes in personal responsibility, this would put some skin in the game for him and others more than willing to fleece us.