Glendale has killed its red-light camera program.
Glendale Police Capt. Carl Povilaitis told the Glendale News-Press that the nearly 4-year-old red-light camera program was "cumbersome" and not "the best use of our resources."
The cameras seemed like a good idea when they were installed in 2008 at the city's most dangerous intersections. At first, the city was handing out 1,000 tickets a month, according to the News-Press. The revenue from all those pricey tickets paid for the program, so the city renewed its contract. But eventually only half of that number of motorists were blowing through red lights, because they were trying to avoid getting tickets. With less revenue, it became hard for the city to break even and sustain the program.
But it wasn't just the price tag of the program that made city officials think twice about continuing the program. Officials told the News-Press that they were worried that the legality of those tickets could be challenged. Glendale is following in the footsteps of other cities who have dumped the once-popular programs, including Anaheim and Los Angeles.
If you already paid your ticket to the city of Glendale, you're probably out of luck. But if not, police say you should double-check with local courthouses to see if you might not be able to challenge your ticket. (But don't ask us for advice: we're not legal experts!)
