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Sun-Times: Feds also probing red-light cam company

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Illinois

* Robert Herguth, Mark Brown and Jon Seidel at the Sun-Times…

Federal agents who blitzed several southwest suburban towns last week were asking questions about a politically connected red-light camera company, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned. […]

As part of the wide-ranging investigation, the feds executed search warrants at the village halls of McCook and Lyons last week as well as the insurance agency office of Lyons Mayor Chris Getty. The feds also interviewed the mayors of Summit and Crestwood, which has not been previously reported.

SafeSpeed’s CEO is Nikki Zollar, a former high-ranking state government official. One of the company’s paid consultants is Patrick Doherty, who is the chief of staff to Cook County Commissioner Jeff Tobolski. Tobolski doubles as the mayor of McCook. […]

The feds interviewed Summit Mayor Sergio Rodriguez about SafeSpeed last week, sources said. Summit has an arrangement with the company to operate two red-light cameras at a single intersection in town. Rodriguez did not return phone messages seeking comment.

Go read it all.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Oct 1, 19 @ 8:14 pm

Comments

Cue the paranoid conspiracy theories

Comment by Precinct Captain Tuesday, Oct 1, 19 @ 10:24 pm
Well this article from 2017 is fascinating. It’s got Sandoval, Tom Cullerton, SafeSpeed, Lyons, McCook, Cicero. Even Exelon makes a cameo appearance.

https://mobile.forestparkreview.com/News/Articles/1-17-2017/Easy-money:-Area-red_light-camera-tickets-boon-for-clouted-company-/

Comment by Juice Tuesday, Oct 1, 19 @ 10:35 pm
Hot damn. How to keep up with all of this…

Comment by Shytown Tuesday, Oct 1, 19 @ 10:47 pm
== Cue the paranoid conspiracy theory ==

You mean the intersection of Tom Cullerton and Marty Sandoval with SafeSpeed? I’d prefer to call it “connecting the dots.” And it doesn’t seem so paranoid to me.

Comment by TLC Tuesday, Oct 1, 19 @ 11:05 pm
TLC, maybe, maybe not. Keep your powder dry for now. But it is most interesting and there are no mere coincidences in Illinois politics.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Oct 1, 19 @ 11:32 pm
Hopefully this leads to every camera being taken down as well. Talk about picking the pocket of the people of this State…

Comment by Hamil Wednesday, Oct 2, 19 @ 6:24 am
Oh, man, is this frustrating. Red light / speed cameras serve a vital enforcement function, but these kind of shenanigans support the “money grab” narrative reproduced above by Hamil.

I live in Chicago and as I drive, bike, and walk around I witness an astonishing degree of lawlessness by motorists nearly every day. You basically can’t assume that anyone will stop at a given stop sign/light or even drive the right way down a one-way street. Enforcement? Completely absent.

Even on the highway, there is a marked difference when driving, say, from WI, through Northern IL, and on into IN. Lots of state troopers patrolling in southern Wisconsin (I guess to own the fibs) and in Northern Indiana. I rarely, if ever, see them on the Tristate.

This is a long way of saying that, without police enforcement (which do not have), automated enforcement is absolutely necessary. If you think the government is trying to personally pick your pocket, the answer is easy: slow down and don’t run red lights.

Comment by FP_J Wednesday, Oct 2, 19 @ 8:32 am
Not to change the focus, but does that article really say that a consultant/lobbyist gets a cut of every red light ticket? What? How is that possible or legal and do they all get that deal or only Dougherty?

Comment by Glum Wednesday, Oct 2, 19 @ 8:47 am
“Talk about picking the pocket of the people of this State…”

You knew that was the case when they started reducing the length of the yellow light on any location with a camera. Red light cameras have little or nothing to do with safety.

Comment by Downstate Wednesday, Oct 2, 19 @ 9:12 am
Same company. Landmark news reports the revenue is split 60/40. https://www.rblandmark.com/News/Articles/8-13-2019/IDOT-rebuffs-Riverside-red_light-cameras/

Comment by NoGifts Wednesday, Oct 2, 19 @ 11:57 am
For those of you doubting the safety impact of red light cameras, please read the study conducted by Northwestern University that showed significant safety improvements at red light camera intersections. Bottomline: redlight cameras save lives. I wish there was one at every signalized intersection.

Comment by Chippy Dave Wednesday, Oct 2, 19 @ 4:34 pm
For profit enforcement is a dirty business. And RLCs do not improve safety. They are for revenue only and to mask fundamental engineering problems that would otherwise be fixed. https://www.motorists.org/issues/red-light-cameras/increase-accidents/

Comment by PRS Thursday, Oct 3, 19 @ 1:13 pm