US Voters Ban Speed Cameras in Three Towns

American voters have succeeded in abolishing three speed cameras. The hated police cameras have been given the boot and have since been torn down – along with the major who opposed the eradication and thus lost his post.

Elections last week saw three ballot initiatives to bring in a law to banish traffic enforcement cameras. The ballot was for 2 cameras in Ohio and one in Texas.

The voters succeeded despite a $60,000 campaign from the camera manufacturer to keep them in place. A whopping 72 per cent of voters in southern Ohio opposed the use of the cameras.  It was here the major of Heath had been spotted removing anti-camera posters along an intersection which lost him is re-election opportunity.

And it looks like speed camera dumping has inspired eleven other towns in American to vote against the hated police cameras.  Although police and road safety governing bodies argue that the cameras help lower the amount of car accidents but this seems too much of a cost to pay for some voters.

The hatred for cameras has even gone so far that back in April a camera technician was shot dead whilst doing some maintenance to a camera.

The police chief Roger Moore held a press conference before the town voted arguing that the wording of the new law, if passed by voters, could mean that his officers would be banned from using any speed-detecting device. The law reads that there is now a ban on “any electronic, photographic, video, radar laser or digital system used to produce evidence of an alleged traffic violation”.

Mr Moore said: “Any, to me, means all the radar and cameras we use. I believe the way it’s worded would prevent my officers from enforcing the law. I think as the position of chief of police, my ultimate responsibility is to keep Chillicothe safe. Anything that affects the citizens negatively or impacts their safety, I have the obligation to speak out.”