KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers politics in Kansas, Missouri and at the local level. Share your story idea with Charlie.
It will be months before drivers in Kansas City, Missouri, see traffic enforcement cameras at intersections.
The city council approved a plan Thursday to install cameras to track red light and speeding violations, but a lot has to happen before the city begins issuing tickets.
First, the city has to buy the cameras. It’s accepting proposals from vendors now.
Since the state - not the city - controls the police department, the city and the Board of Police Commissioners have to sign an agreement essentially giving the city power to issue tickets. There are similar agreements in place that allow city-employed park rangers to write tickets.
October 29 is the next police commissioners’ meeting, but an agenda is not yet available.
The city has to pick which intersections will receive cameras.
According to the ordinance, the city’s Public Works director is in charge of the process. He’ll work in conjunction with the police department. City council members get final approval on camera locations.
The city took down red light cameras in 2013 after a court ruling called the cameras unconstitutional. Councilmember Melissa Robinson said many of the cameras from 2013 were on the city’s predominantly Black East Side. She doesn’t want to disproportionately target that area again.
“We do need to focus on that area because that’s where a lot of the fatalities are happening, but we don’t want to also over-police the area,” Robinson pointed out.
Once the city chooses intersections, it must install signs warning drivers there are cameras at an intersection before turning the cameras on.
And the city must engage in a two-month-long public awareness campaign before the cameras go online.
Mayor Quinton Lucas said it will take months to accomplish all those prerequisites.
“Our key goal is to see less speeding in Kansas City. I think we can get to that,” he said.
Marquita Mitchell said a driver who ran a red light side-swiped her SUV this week.
“I can definitely see why it’s needed because people are running these red lights and speeding through these lights and speeding up and down these streets so we definitely need it,” Mitchell said, while also admitting she has some concerns about Big Brother surveilling the city.
Driver Derrick Franklin doubts the traffic enforcement cameras will change his habits. He admitted to frequently running red lights.
“Mainly at night, I ain’t going to lie to you,” he said. “But in the daytime, police be too active.”
Mayor Lucas said one reason for the cameras is to make up for a police officer staffing shortage.
Quincy Cooper also admitted to running red lights.
“Every day, all day. I feel like red light is a stop sign. If there ain’t nobody coming, it’s go,” he said.
Cooper believes the city will mail several tickets once the cameras are up and running. Some revenue from the tickets will go toward the city’s Vision Zero initiative to improve street infrastructure in a way to make the roads safer.
