Police Union: We Don't Want Speed Cameras In New York City
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The New York City Patrolmen's Benevolent Association does not want speed cameras set up in the city.
Union President Patrick Lynch told the New York Daily News that speed cameras "are no substitute for live policing."
The PBA has urged state legislators not to pass a bill authorizing the camera program.
Lynch said the cameras would allow drivers who are drunk, carrying weapons and fleeing crimes to "slip by."
The cameras record the speed of passing vehicles. Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration wants to test using 20 of them in school zones. Tickets would be issued automatically.
The cameras would not photograph drivers, but would capture license plate numbers. Fines would range between $25 and $100 and insurance companies would not be notified of violations.
The calls for a crackdown on speeding comes after several high-profile crashes, including a hit-and-run collision that killed Nachman and Raizy Glauber and a day later, their newborn son.
"This is not about 'gotcha' or even revenue generation," said City Council Speaker Christine Quinn. "This is about safety and I believe New Yorkers understand that. That's why we have so many community boards and civic unions in support."
"Speeding is one of the major causes of traffic collisions and fatalities in New York City, and effective enforcement of speed limit laws in New York could dramatically reduce the number of serious injuries and deaths that occur," said Assembly member Linda Rosenthal.
One in four traffic deaths in New York City is caused by speeding. In 2011 alone, 70 people were killed and 4,700 people were injured as a result of speed-related crashes in the five boroughs.
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