Protesters advocate red light cameras can be a lifesaving tool

PHOENIX – Phoenix City Councilwoman Debra Stark spent New Year’s Day protesting the city shutting off red-light cameras.

Stark, along with Councilwoman Thelda Williams and about 30 protesters, stood on the corner of Seventh Street and Bell Road in Phoenix on Wednesday to voice their concerns.

“We wanted to show our support for the cameras because we believe they can actually save lives,” Stark told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Wednesday.

Stark said the intersection where they protested had 3,333 citations issued for red-light runners in 2019. The camera at that intersection only captures eastbound drivers.

The Phoenix City Council voted down a measure in November that would extend a contract for red-light and speed-enforcement cameras. The cameras have been shut off everywhere except in school zones.

“In talking to the police and traffic engineers, some of the locations where they probably would’ve preferred to have the cameras, there wasn’t the infrastructure to put up the cameras,” Stark said.

“In some cases, some of the cameras were placed in locations where there were actually more fatalities as opposed to accidents.”

Stark said  that with more research about how red-light cameras can be a useful tool in saving lives, she hopes they can help change the council’s mind about the decision in 2020.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Peter Samore contributed to this report.

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