Northwest Indiana Discussion

If this ever passes will more police officers become available during shifts when violent crime is at the highest, or is this just another revenue tool, to hell with the public safety? With camera’s doing the job of the police officer shouldn’t that free up more officers and reduce the number of officers needed for patrolling?

Monday, December 08, 2008
IND. LAW - STILL MORE ON: "RED LIGHT CAMERA PUSH STARTS AGAIN"
Updating a long list of earlier ILB entries on red light cameras is this story today in the Lafayette Journal Courer, by Curt Clyder, whose story today begins:
Janie Amstutz has lived on South 23rd Street, within eyesight of the nearby busy intersection of Kossuth and Main streets, for 14 years.
That's the same intersection where Lafayette officials set up a one-day test last spring of a camera designed to record vehicles running red lights.
Used in other states, but not yet in Indiana, these red light cameras allow traffic officials to mail tickets to the registered owners of vehicles caught running red lights. Such cameras usually photograph the vehicles' license plates to identify them.
Recording traffic over a 24-hour period heading southeast on Main Street, toward Tippecanoe Mall, the camera caught 135 vehicles doing some type of red light violation. That's significant since Lafayette police issued 368 tickets for such violations over a 16-month period from January 2007 to June 2008.
"That was surprising," said Sgt. Max Smith, of the department's traffic division. "I didn't expect that many blatant violations."
Amstutz, however, was not surprised. "I see a lot of that."
Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter said such cameras are not allowed in Indiana until the General Assembly passes legislation clearing the way for municipalities to install them. But a couple of local legislators have said such legislation is possible in 2009.

When I lived in San Diego, when they installed a red light camera at one of the cities worst intersections for red light runners, they immediately pulled the cop that was assigned to that intersection and put the officer on other duties

Just wait, Cops now use radar vehicles that simply clock you and mail you a ticket as well, again freeing up officers to do other things as well

The other part of question, was the office placed on a shift where or when violent crime was at it’s highest...: after dark when the predators are at their peak. Or is this just a revenue tool? As the article states 135 vehicles, running the light in 24 hours if that hold true, close to five thousand tickets for a year. Like any police department they serve and protect, would the public have better service if more officers were on duty during the peak hours of violent crime?

I would hope that they put more officers on duty when they are really needed

More experts.... You people need a life!

No we would prefer service and protection Police officers patrol in the largest numbers on what shift?

And here I thought cops were supposed to serve the public

Guess it is indeed a do as I say, not as I do society with cops

“So”, you sleep on which side of the bed?

911 dispatch gets upgrade


December 22, 2008
Post-Tribune staff report
The banks of telephones in the Gary Public Safety Facility that ring and ring and ring with 911 calls will be silenced, packed up and sent to some long-distance phone heaven early next year.
In their place, computers.
The changeover is part of a countywide program that will use Internet providers to receive and dispatch emergency calls here and 17 other police stations.
"Gary has that big 90-button telephone system. It's gone," Lake County's newly hired 911 Director Jeff Cicillian said last week.
"Everything is point and click. It's a Windows system that makes it a lot easier. It's all on the computer screen," Cicillian said.
Gary dispatchers traveled to St. John Police Department earlier this month for a week-long training session. Cmdr. Richard Allen, who supervises the communications division, said he was unable to comment on benefits of the new system Friday because he hadn't spoken to anyone who completed the training.
Lake County police were the first to have the new, enhanced emergency system. St. John Police Department was second and East Chicago completed its changeover last week. Gary is expected to make the switch the first week in January.
By April, every police and fire dispatch center in the county will have the new computer system, one that eliminates the huge switching boxes in their radio rooms.
"Instead of every single department housing a big box, there's one simple routing box and the main box stays at the AT&T office on Main Street in East Chicago,"?Cicillian said.
Cicillian, who retired this month from the Lake County Police Department, where he was a commander over the communications department, will begin his job working for Lake County commissioners Jan. 1.
He was determined his department would have the new system before he retired, and as the civilian supervisor, will be able to continue the work throughout the county.
The $10.3 million "Patriot" system can process text messages, voice streaming and other digital communication.
By sometime in 2010, the statistical package will keep track of important data and a mapping system will allow dispatchers to locate a cell phone caller who has an emergency, but can't describe where they are.
"When all three are up and running, it will be the first in the nation,"?Cicillian said.
The system consolidation is part of a statewide mandate to combine services. In a news release issued Friday, Gov. Mitch Daniels listed a series of local government reforms he recommends, and one of them is the police dispatch overhaul.
A state law requires each county to have a maximum of two public safety answering points by January 1, 2015.
"This will provide consolidated, effective and efficient public safety dispatch in each county," the release states.
Cicillian said that dispatchers will still answer calls at the same pace, but transferring calls and obtaining information should be faster and more efficient.
"Gary PD has 47 ringdown numbers, if they need to send to a fire station, they have a series of buttons, now they'll just go to speed dial, click on a button and send it," Cicillian said.
Porter County has already consolidated its dispatch system, although Portage still maintains its own dispatch center.

You're a smart guy, figure it out. The side that is messed up, with no one in it when you get home.

You posted the Donut Police thread and the issue is still which side of the bed are you on, being inadequate leads to a defensive posture? Back to the issue of public safety or revenue which shifts has the majority of officers on patrol?

One raises the curtain on the issue while another prepares to bow out of the traffic camera issue. Neither admits it’s for revenue but one realizes the possible effect on local business, the other doesn’t even have to consider the impact of local businesses.

http://www.post-trib.com/news/1423546,gacamera.article

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=270767

O.K., I see that MOST of you are focusing on the fact that the implementation of the red light camera will "free up" Officers to focus on other areas for protection, but, in reality, there are very few communities in NW Indiana that "assign" an Officer to an intersection for traffic enforcement. You may see Officers sitting at intersections to monitor traffic, but that is usually of their own accord, and not due to an "assignment" to that intersection. On certain occassions, that does occur, but not as a matter of rule. So, by installing red light cameras, it is purely monetarily based. Sure, they may help increase road safety by catching those who run red lights, but more than anything else, they create revenue. We do have instances of accidents and other problems from those running red lights, but they area not as bad as everyone thinks. How many times has someone witnessed an accident due purely to running a red light? More often than not, accidents are due to the drivers just not paying attention while driving. You can "twist" most causes of any accidents to make it seem that they are caused by something other than what is the truth, which is usually driver inattention. Don't let them force this down your throat that this is going to cure your traffic ills. This is only going to help fill their coffers. Don't get me wrong, I do not condone running red lights, especially at the cost of other peoples' safety, but this is not going to have the effect on traffic safety that they want you to believe that it is going to have. As in everything else that the local politicians push down your throat and want you to believe "caveat emptor"!