COMING TO YOUR TOWN REAL SOON -- Washington DC

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: "Trei, Peter" <ptrei () rsasecurity com>
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 2002 15:31:47 -0400


"The most just law, applied without mercy, is tyranny".
--Seneca? -- Solon?

How does this square with the constitutional right to face
one's accuser? Unlike the pilot system, most of these
cameras would be unmanned.

Peter Trei
 ----------------------------------------

> From the Washington Times:
http://asp.washtimes.com/printarticle.asp?action=print&ArticleID=20020922-50
7153

Whoa, Big Brother
House Editorial
Published 9/22/2002

     The speed camera "experiment" begun a few months ago could
be about to expand into a city-wide grid of cameras - and a flurry
of tickets for D.C. motorists. The Washington Times has learned
that the city has the option of modifying the contract it originally
signed with Lockheed Martin IMS, the supplier of the photo-radar
units, to erect a much more comprehensive "Automated Traffic
Enforcement Program" that would make it possible to ticket literally
millions of motorists every year, at almost any time and place in
the city.
     Under the terms of the contract tendered by Lockheed Martin IMS
to William M. Cartis of the Metropolitan Police Department, "speed
on green" photo-radar units that track the rate of travel of automobiles
as they pass through intersections could be set up all over downtown.
According to the language of the contract, "photo radar and speed on
green units will target all vehicles traveling above the posted speed
limit." 
This represents an order of magnitude increase beyond the initial,
small-scale use of photo radar that involved one "fixed" unit, and five
mobile units installed in city police vehicles that could be set up at
various points around town.
      How much is all this worth to the city? According to estimates
provided by Lockheed Martin IMS, the District could mulct motorists
to the tune of $10,988,588 annually - after it pays off the private
contractor, who gets a big chunk of each $29 ticket issued by the
photo-radar and speed-on-green units. Lockheed Martin IMS stated
in the original contract with the city that it "anticipated over 80,000
payments per month."
      Never before has the use of speed traps to generate revenue for
municipal government been so flagrant. And the unabashed cashing-in
by the private contractor helpfully setting all this up is  something to
behold.
      The old nag trotted out by photo radar advocates that "speed kills"
is a non-sequitor that intelligent people ought to dismiss out-of-hand.
The proper questions ought to be: What speeds are reasonable
and how should they be enforced? Dangerous speeding is one thing.
Mercilessly prosecuting motorists for driving faster than an arbitrary
and often under-posted limit (the maximum lawful limit within the
District is just 25 mph on almost all streets) is nothing more than a
tax by another name. Using cameras to maximize the revenue
stream in this manner - and for the partial benefit, don't forget,
of a private contractor - establishes a new level of effrontery that
will be hard to top.


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