CLAYTON — The ºüÀêÊÓƵ County Council will consider asking voters later this year whether traffic-enforcement cameras should be banned across the county.
A bill introduced Tuesday by Councilman Tim Fitch, R-3rd District, would put a charter amendment on the ballot in November. The question would ask voters whether red-light cameras, speed enforcement cameras and similar automated traffic-enforcement systems should be banned in both unincorporated areas and the county’s 88 municipalities.
If there are no delays, the bill could go to a preliminary vote as soon as Tuesday and to a final council vote as soon as Jan. 21.
My "enforcement camera ban" bill will be introduced Tuesday. If county voters approve, these cameras will be banned everywhere in ºüÀêÊÓƵ Co. IL Comptroller calls red-light camera program ‘broken & morally corrupt,’ will halt collections via
— Tim Fitch (@ChiefTimFitch)
Fitch, the former county police chief, has been an opponent of automatic traffic enforcement for years.
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He proposed the ban after the city of ºüÀêÊÓƵ began soliciting proposals from private companies to provide camera systems to catch vehicles running lights. The city said an increase in fatal accidents on city streets since red-light cameras were phased out is part of the rationale for taking another look at red-light cameras.
The cameras haven’t been used in ºüÀêÊÓƵ and most of the rest of Missouri since state Supreme Court rulings in 2015 effectively set up new restrictions on their use.
In a statement, County Executive Sam Page said, “Some jurisdictions use them successfully. We will evaluate all legislation thoughtfully and deliberatively. Banning without reviewing data is not deliberative.â€