City officials say traffic light cameras will remain in use, despite impending legal action against American Traffic Solutions, the private company administrating the cameras for the city’s police department.
In a class action lawsuit, ATS is accused of acting as law enforcement in issuing violations and citations of drivers who are caught running a red light or performing a traffic violation on camera.
“We may look at the process of how we use it,” City Manager Brian Watkins said. “Right now, there is no intention in changing anything.”
Although ATS oversees the five red light cameras in the city, Watkins said the citations are authorized by the Milton Police Department.
“We make the decision on who gets a ticket,” Police Chief Greg Brand said. “The camera company does not determine (that).”
Brand said five officers from the department review each citation. Brand also said the department will not send out the citation if violation is unclear.
“The standing rule is that if (the violation) is ambiguous in any way shape or form, then it is thrown out,” he said.
The class action lawsuit, which was filed last month by two Florida drivers, is seeking more than $5 million in addition to seeking other drivers who were issued tickets or paid fines from cases handled by the Arizona-based company to join the lawsuit.
Theodore Leopold, representing a south Florida law firm also involved with the lawsuit, said ATS is in violation of state law.
“The law mandates that qualified officers must determine who has violated our traffic laws and issue traffic citations,” Leopold stated in a press release. “ATS’s actions are a clear violation of the statute.”
According the ATS website, the company has nearly 300 customers and more than 3,500 road safety camera systems installed and operating throughout the United States and Canada.
In Milton, the city has red light cameras operating near U.S. Highway. 90 near the intersections of Glover Lane and Jaimee Leigh Drive. A camera is also posted near the intersection of Dogwood Drive and Hamilton Bridge Road.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: City to maintain traffic camera operations, despite impending legal action