The Washington Times
  • Subscribe
  • Times News Services
  • RSS
  • Mobile Headlines
  • e-edition
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • REGISTER
  • LOG IN
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • WELCOME
  • Your Profile
  • Log Out
  • Front Page Image
  • Classifieds
  • Autos
  • Real Estate
  • Jobs
  • Special Sections
  • Customer Service
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Sports
    • NFL
    • NBA/WNBA
    • MLB
    • NHL
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Motorsports
    • Soccer
    • NCAA
    • Olympics
    • Outdoors
    • Other
  • Culture
    • Home & Living
    • Family & Kids
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Washington Visitors
    • Books
    • Military History
    • Life
    • Auto
    • TV Listings
    • Movie Listings
    • Death Notices
    • Entertainment
  • Themes
  • Communities
  • Shopping
    • Stores
    • Coupons
    • Daily Double
    • Promotion
    • How It Works
  • Videos
    • Two Guys
    • Birnbaum on Washington
    • Liz Glover
    • Amanda Carpenter
    • Morning Briefing
    • Documentaries
    • Joe Giganti
    • Video Game Minute
  • Podcasts
    • About Headlines
    • Audio and Radio
    • America's Morning News
  • Politics

    Ads add heat to health care debate

  • National

    At the Mall of America, it's big business as usual

  • World

    Drug lords finding safe haven in Bolivia

  • Business

    Health, climate bills seen to stifle hiring

  • Local

    Mayor Fenty's approval in D.C. divided by race

  • Sports

    Terps' Friedgen faces tough road ahead

  • National

    VERSACE: Follow the shopping bags

Friday, February 23, 2007

Cameras nab cops going to emergencies

Rate this story

Average 0.00
after 0 votes
Login or register to rate this story

  • Font Size -+
  • Print
  • Email
  • Comment
  • Tweet this!
  • Share
  • Article
  • Comments ()
  • Click-2-Listen
  • Videos

More Stories

  • Obama calls service members on holiday
  • Gay marriage vote stalls in N.J., N.Y.
  • Shaq pays for murdered girl's funeral
  • IAEA: Iran investigation at 'dead end'

By

Police officers responding to emergencies are flagged constantly by the automated red-light and speed cameras in the District, forcing them to waste hours getting the tickets dismissed in court, according to the Fraternal Order of Police.

"It's just an enormous waste of resources and an enormous waste of time," Kristopher Baumann, the D.C. union's chairman, told The Washington Times. "Officers have had to spend months writing letters and getting different approvals to show what they were doing."

The District has installed 49 red-light cameras and 10 speed cameras that take photographs of offenders' license plates and issue tickets that are sent through the mail. Twelve patrol cars are equipped with similar automated cameras.

Mr. Baumann said officers are captured by the cameras as many as 10 to 15 times a day. His union represents the Metropolitan Police Department's 3,400 officers, sergeants and detectives.

D.C. police Capt. Melvin Gresham said while officers sometimes get tickets while responding to a legitimate emergency, the cases are dismissed. He also said he hasn't received any complaints from officers about the tickets.

"We have had individual instances where officers on legitimate calls for emergency services were captured by photo red-light cameras, and as longas they can justify their actions, then more than likely the infraction will be dismissed," he said.

Still, officers must spend a considerable amount of time dealing with them, and there have been instances where officers have paid their tickets to avoid the hassle, Mr. Baumann said.

Officers must deal with the tickets either by mail or through court.

When trying to get the ticket dismissed by mail, an officer must write a letter saying that he or she was on duty at the time and obtain a letter from a commander, as well as get radio logs and other data that would prove they were responding to a legitimate emergency.

But some get called to court, where they must explain where they were and what they were doing at the time the cameras captured their vehicle.

12Next »

Post a comment

There are comments on this article, submit your opinion!

Commenting is disabled for this entry.
If you feel there is still something worth mentioning about this entry please contact the author or the site admin.

Ask a Question

You Report

Do you have another point of view, photos, audio, video or more information about a story?

Top Stories

Most Read

  1. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  2. Climate 'czar' says hacked e-mails don't change anything
  3. EDITORIAL: The global-cooling cover-up
  4. Grade-schooler unearths fossil at dinosaur park
  5. Top Republican lawmakers not attending State Dinner
More Top Stories »
  1. D.C. sports icon, Wizards owner Pollin dies
  2. Climate czar rejects doctored data claims
  3. List of W.H. state dinner guests
  4. EDITORIAL: Obama's sacked inspector general
  5. Conservatives seek test for RNC funds

Most Shared

  1. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  2. EDITORIAL: The global-cooling cover-up
  3. EDITORIAL: The duty of a nation to obey God
  4. Grade-schooler unearths fossil at dinosaur park
  5. PRUDEN: Trouble afoot for high priests
More Top Stories »
  1. The United Socialist States of America
  2. Climate czar rejects doctored data claims
  3. VAN CLEAVE: A Thanksgiving message from Russia's spy agency
  4. Climate 'czar' says hacked e-mails don't change anything
  5. Drug lords finding safe haven in Bolivia

Most Commented

  1. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  2. Climate 'czar' says hacked e-mails don't change anything
  3. Climate czar rejects doctored data claims
  4. Obama to attend Denmark climate summit
  5. EDITORIAL: The duty of a nation to obey God
More Top Stories »
  1. Ky. hanging, ruled a suicide, leaves bloggers at loss for words
  2. Obama taking emissions goal to summit
  3. 9/11 families sharply split on civilian court trials
  4. EDITORIAL: Obama's sacked inspector general
  5. A-listers, fundraisers at W.H. state dinner

Listen to Washington Times Radio

  • America's Morning News

    with John McCaslin and Melanie Morgan

Blogs & Columns

  • Hot Button Blog

    RNC: Breast cancer recommendations may lead to 'rationing'

  • Belief Blog

    Evangelicals OK civil disobedience

  • Out of Context

    Foods that might kill libido

  • On the Fly

    United lifts some 'award' blocking

  • Technology

    Facebook wins round against phishing spammer

  • Redskins 360

    Redskins matchup

  • SNOBlog

    Beyond 'Woody'

Videos

Advertising Links
TWT Store
  • e-edition
  • Print Edition
  • Weekly Washington Times
TWT Affiliates
  • Middle East Times
  • Golf
  • UPI
  • Arbor Ballroom
  • Washington Times Global
  • About TWT
  • Press Room
  • F.A.Q.
  • Work for TWT
  • Advertise
  • Sponsors
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map

All site contents © Copyright 2009 The Washington Times, LLC.