On the front page of the Journal we're treated to a photo showing how traffic enforcement should be done. Three officers with laser speed detection equipment, monitoring traffic for violators and issuing criminal citations. This is how you enforce the law.
(Sidebar)The implication of the Journal's story is that Super Marty complete with cape, is coming in his speed van to save the day and all of us from evil law-breaking truckers. The reality is somewhat different. Marty's speed cameras don't enforce the law, they collect money. Perhaps the mayor should exchange the cape for the Hamburgler's mask.
The top of the fold photo shows two sergeants and a captain operating the lasers. Please tell us that it's just a case of rank trying to get some media face time... or at least media side time. Shouldn't officers receiving supervisory pay be, I don't know... supervising?
(End Sidebar)
Vehicle's caught speeding by intersection cameras, speed vans, or the - coming to an Interstate near you - freeway cameras will be issued a civil citation. In addition to all of the due process issues (like the complete absence of due process), there's a jurisdictional issue. Marty is extending his program to federally funded state roads.
Legislators around the state were already upset by the city pocketing all of the money that would normally go to the state from traffic enforcement. Now Marty's going to make a grab at the revenue generated by state roads.
We've got to hand it to the mayor... we can't think of a more profitable source of revenue than Albuquerque's two major freeway's. Cameras can snap away at freight traffic moving through the city. There's minimal danger that the city will have to hold hearings since the driver of the vehicle will be literally thousands of miles away by the time the "citation" catches up to them 10 days later.
Mayor Marty will have single handedly transformed the Interstates into Revenue Roads... at least until the Legislature gets back in session.
