TheNewspaper.com covers Houston’s delayed red light camera contract and adds this:
The initial police request for contract proposals specified that the red light camera system must photograph both the front and rear of vehicles. Systems that photograph the front of the car allow identification of the driver, ensuring that the ticket only goes to the individual responsible for the infraction. At the last minute, officials changed the requirement to rear photos only when they learned that sending tickets to vehicle owners regardless of whether they committed any crime would generate substantially more revenue. Rhode Island vendor Nestor Inc. complained that they were not given sufficient notice of this change.
“I got notification during the demo or right before the demo that it wasn’t going to be front-plate capture,” said Bert Keller, a Nestor lobbyist and former Houston city councilman.
Which officials made the change? Remember when Houston bicyclist Bob Stein assured us that Mayor White would be on the lookout for shenanigans? Did Mayor White know about this last minute photo change (that just so happens to produce more money for the city)?
