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State Representative Tony Cornish
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4240
For more information contact: Jason Wenisch 651-296-2317
NEWS RELEASE
CORNISH: PHOTOCOP GETS RED LIGHT
ST. PAUL - A bill that would authorize the use of electronic cameras to photograph and ticket people who are allegedly speeding or running a red light has likely been shelved for the year, according to State Representative Tony Cornish (R-Good Thunder).
“Not only does PhotoCop create a constitutional problem because it makes you guilty until proven innocent, but it also eliminates officer discretion,” Cornish said.
Cornish views PhotoCop as an excuse to hire fewer police officers, and said it undermines community policing efforts that have proven to be effective. Cornish said what makes PhotoCop attractive is that the program is a huge cash cow to the agency that uses it, but he feels there are more important issues than collecting money.
“Often times, police find drugs or other more significant violations during a routine traffic stop,” Cornish noted. “Those opportunities would be lost with PhotoCop.”
“In other cases, a man may blow a red light because his wife is having a baby,” Cornish continued. “A cop would take this into account and decide whether a ticket should be issued. A camera will simply send you the ticket without asking questions.”
“The bill is being portrayed as pro-police because it allows cops to do other things besides writing traffic tickets. I view it as borderline unconstitutional, and feel community policing is far more important and valuable to law enforcement than stationary photography,” Cornish concluded.
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