Beware of Fake Phone Calls From The Department of Public Safety

MARSHALL, Texas (KYTX) Full story  If you get a call about an overdue red-light ticket, don't fall for it. Scammers are illegally collecting money for tickets that don't exist. They're also stealing credit card and social security numbers by claiming to be with the Department of Public Safety. CBS 19's Monique Bird has details on what you can do to protect your identity and your money.
Red-light cameras are easy to spot at busy Marshall, Texas intersections. The cameras take pictures of red-light runners and the drivers are fined. But scammers are abusing the system. Claiming to be with DPS, scammers call victims demanding payment for overdue red-light tickets.

"People are gullible, unfortunately," says Jeff Gulledge. "It's pretty bad. Really bad. I think that they should be prosecuted heavily. It should be taken seriously."

Gulledge says he's not surprised by the illegal activity. But he hopes he can avoid scams like this by screening his calls carefully.

"That's why I don't answer those phone calls," says Gulledge. "I don't answer it unless I know the person."

So what should you do if you get a call from someone claiming to be with DPS? First, don't give out any personal information, like a credit card number or a social security number. And second, report it.

"Try to capture any information they have - maybe off of their caller id," says Jean Dark, with DPS. "And then, contact law enforcement and provide that information to them."

Trooper dark says DPS never collects traffic fines and won't call about tickets.

"Identity theft is clearly a crime on the rise," says Dark. "Be aware that it's happening. Guard your identity. Make sure that you're not divulging personal information over the phone to someone you don't know in a call that you have not initiated."

Gulledge hopes that advice will keep him from becoming the next victim.

"Knock on wood," laughs Gulledge.

Anyone suspecting fake calls should report them to the Consumer Protection Division of the Texas Attorney General's Office at 1-800-621-0508.

Here is a continually updated list of cities that have removed or partially removed red light camera locations recently.  Subscribe to our red light camera locations database to get a full list of detailed locations.  Keep in mind some States and County jurisdictions have passed laws preventing the use of red light cameras but Cities and Municipalities continue to use them illegally.  To remove a location please provide a link to a local newspaper article highlighting the City Council decision to remove the cameras.  We are only concerned with locations that have been permanently removed and not those that have been deactivated temporarily.

Anchorage, AK
Arlington, TX
Avondale, CA
Burlingame, CA
Brooksville, FL
College Station, TX
Costa Mesa, CA
Lilburn, GA
Loma Linda, CA
Lubbock, TX
Melbourne, FL
Monterey Park, CA
Moreno Valley, CA
Naperville, FL
Norcross, GA
Peoria, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Redlands, CA
San Carlos, CA
Scottsdale, AZ
Springfield, MO
Snellville, GA
Suwanee, GA
St. Peters, FL
Union City, CA
Wilmington, NC
Yucaipa, CA

As always, please email us if we are missing any cities on this list or still have locations listed in our public database that should be removed.

Related Articles:
How Many US Cities Use Red Light Cameras
Arizona Freeway Speed Cameras Go Bye Bye
Moreno Valley Dumps Red Light Cameras
Avondale Arizona Shuts Down Red Light Cameras

State Map	Red Light Camera Fine $	Red Light Camera Points	Speed Camera Fine $	Speed Camera Points
Alabama	$50
Arizona	$180	no Points	$250-$250	2-3 Points
Arkansas	$50
California	$446	1 Point
Colorado	$90	4 Points	$40-80	4 Points
Delaware	$75-$230
District of Columbia	$75	2 Points	$75	2 Points
Florida	$75-$125
Georgia	$70	3 Points
Hawaii	$77
Illinois	$100	20 Points	$250 or 25	20 points
Indiana	$100
Iowa	$45-$150		$45-$150
Kansas	$100
Louisiana	$100-$140	No Points
Maryland	$100	2 Points	$40 - $1,000	No Points
Michigan	$100
Minnesota	$130
Mississippi	$100
Missouri	$100
Nevada	$600-$1,000	4 Points
New Jersey	$75	No Points
New Mexico	$70-$250		$70-$250
New York	$50-$100	3 Points
North Carolina	$75-$100	3 Points
Ohio	$100-$200		$100-$200
Oklahoma	$100
Oregon	$355		$355
Pennsylvania	$100	3 Points
Rhode Island	$85
South Dakota	$89	No Points
Tennessee	$50-$100		$50-$100
Texas	$75-$200	No Points	$75-$200
Virginia	$100 - $200	4 Points
Washington	$124		$124
West Virginia
Wisconsin	$75

Please make suggested updates of information in the comments section below.

Photo enforcement of illegal right turns is starting to become very popular among city's. Illegal right turns are made when a sign clearly states "no right on red" or "after stop a right turn is permitted on red."  Illegal rolling right turns are when a driver does not come to a "complete stop" before making the turn. Illegal right turns are when the driver makes a right turn on red regardless if they camer to a complete stop.  Its a very grey area what a complete stop is but I have been told its anything under 7MPH.    We would appreciate any feedback from drivers around the Country to clarify this below under comments.

City's are using traditional red light camera technology and you can get a photo enforced ticket for an illegal right turn and they are cash cows.  Its by far the biggest money maker for most cities.   The fines in California are $159 and right turn cameras are also being used in Missouri $100), Tenessee ($100), Texas ($75) and Maryland ($75).

These right turn photo enforced intersections often surprise drivers because there are not very many intersections currently regulated. These intersections usually prevent drivers from turning right who might have limited visibility 0t mighy be moving at a speed that is unsafe. I still haven't figured out why rolling right turns are such a big deal that they have to be photo enforced. Its possible that bikers or pedestrians often are frequenting the sidewalks or streets and the cities want drivers to be extra cautious.

The Daily News, Published February 10, 2010

League City, Texas — Access to detailed information about the effectiveness of the city’s red light camera program is being challenged by the RedFlex the company that operates the red light cameras in League City, Texas.  Citing copyright law, Redflex Traffic Systems, a Phoenix-based company, has appealed to the state attorney general The Daily News’ request for details about the program, including information about possible gaps in the cameras’ coverage.

The Daily News made a request Jan. 12 to the League City Police Department for the daily reports it received from Redflex of all red light camera citations issued from Oct. 1, 2009, through Jan. 9.  The Daily News requested the same information from League City’s government.  League City forwarded The Daily News’ request to Redflex. In a Feb. 2 letter, Redflex asked the Texas Attorney General’s Office to deny the request.

“The Requesting Party seeks confidential, proprietary and copyrighted information regarding Redflex and its business operations,” Redflex Associate General Counsel John M. Jacobs wrote. “As a result, such information is properly excepted under the laws of the State of Texas.” Attorneys for League City informed the attorney general’s office they would rely on Redflex’s decision because the city is unsure how to handle the request.  Joseph Larsen, a Houston-based attorney for the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, said copyright and state law do not preclude anybody from viewing the records Redflex is seeking to protect.
“You’re entitled to inspect them even if you can’t get copies of the records,” he said. “This is just typical obstruction you see from cities and vendors into any inquiries about red light camera programs,” Larsen said.

Two city council members said they were concerned about the company’s response to the request.  “I have several concerns with the red light cameras that are being used in League City, and this is indeed one of them,” Councilman Mike Lee said.  “I personally believe that all information related to city property is a public record,” Councilman Mick Phalen said. “Unfortunately, Redflex Systems disagrees and has not released them.”  League City officials were waiting Tuesday for Redflex to provide them with additional records on the city’s red light camera program. “Redflex informed us that they would supply us with a report by this afternoon. To our knowledge we have not yet received a report from Redflex,” Public Information Officer Kristi Wyatt said.

PhotoEnforced.com today added a new category of photo enforcement "Right Turn Cameras" to compliment our growing list of "red light cameras" and "speed cameras." As of today we have added 44 locations where illegal right turns are photo enforced from around the U.S. and will be adding many more as the data starts to trickle in from users.

We are starting to see a growing number of right turn cameras popping-up around the U.S. that use traditional red light camera technology to enforce illegal right turns. These new cameras are typically enforcing illegal right turns red or rolling right turns. Illegal rolling right turns are when a driver does not come to a complete stop before making the turn. Illegal right turns are when the driver makes a right turn on red regardless if they camer to a complete stop. The fines in California are $159 and right turn cameras are also being used in Missouri $100), Tenessee ($100), Texas ($75) and Maryland ($75).

These right turn photo enforced intersections often surprise drivers because there are not very many intersections currently regulated. These intersections usually prevent drivers from turning right who might have limited visibility 0t mighy be moving at a speed that is unsafe. I still haven't figured out why rolling right turns are such a big deal that they have to be photo enforced. Its possible that bikers or pedestrians often are frequenting the sidewalks or streets and the cities want drivers to be extra cautious.

Speeding fines are the same whether motorists are stopped by a deputy or get a citation in the mail through the photo radar program. Fines are $135 for exceeding the speed limit by 10 mph; $183 for 11-15 mph; $202 for 16-20 mph; $222 for 21-25; $235 for 26-30 mph; and $356 for 31-45 mph. Drivers could be arrested for going more than 46 mph over the posted limit. Photo enforced locations are set to trigger a picture flash for 11 MPH over the speeding limit.

Arizona leads all U.S. States with a total of 51 active photo enforced speed camera locations that are currently in our database. From this we can reasonably assume that Arizona has nearly 1/3 of all speed cameras that currently exist in the U.S. Here is a summary of our current totals that are in our database.

State	#	%
Arizona	51	30.00%
Maryland	21	12.35%
Ohio	16	9.41%
Washington	16	9.41%
California	15	8.82%
New Mexico	10	5.88%
District of Columbia	9	5.29%
Tennessee	8	4.71%
Iowa	7	4.12%
New York	3	1.76%
Missouri	2	1.18%
North Carolina	2	1.18%
Colorado	2	1.18%
Florida	1	0.59%
Georgia	1	0.59%
Idaho	1	0.59%
Pennsylvania	1	0.59%
Texas	1	0.59%
Utah	1	0.59%
Virginia	1	0.59%
Delaware	1	0.59%
	170

Supporters of red light cameras say…

• According to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS), drivers who run red lights account for 22% of all traffic accidents in the United States.
• An IIHS study in Oxnard, California showed that red light running violations dropped 42% after red light cameras was introduced. A similar study in Fairfax, Virginia showed violations declined 40% after one year after.
• Publicity of red light cameras deters violations.
• Red light cameras don’t have biases and therefore drivers cannot be unfairly profiled.
• Privacy issues are null because of the public setting. Also, only people violating the law are photographed.
• They make lots of money for cities in need of the revenue.

Those who oppose the use of red light cameras say . . . 

• The owner might not have been driving the car, yet they are mailed owner the ticket.
• Cameras increase other types of accidents, such as rear ending collisions, when people notice the camera and make hasty decisions to avoid ticketing. A Virginia Transportation Research Council study shows an increase of accidents with the installment of red light cameras.
• Longer yellow lights can make intersections much safer, in an easy and inexpensive way (check out the findings of the Texas Transportation Institute)
• There is no standardization of yellow light duration and several cities have been caught shortening them around a red light camera to increase revenue.
• Insurance companies (including IIHS) support red light cameras because more tickets mean they can raise insurance rates
• The accused receive notification weeks after the violation and there are no human witnesses to analyze the whole situation.
  
• They are expensive to operate and service the tickets in our court system.
  
• There are not stands to the fines through the U.S. which range from $50-$400.

Thank you to our friends at Beat The Traffic Blog for putting together this info . . .

Do you feel like you drove through a light with an extra short yellow? Did you know there are laws and DOT recommendations that require yellow lights to be at least 3.5 seconds. Six cities have already been caught shortening yellow lights by .3 to 1 seconds. 6 cities have been caught: 1) Dallas, Texas 2) Chattanooga, Tennessee 3) Springfield, Missouri 4) Lubbock, Texas 5) Nashville, Tennessee 6) Union City, California.

I would suspect there are many other cities in violation including a city near me Culver City. I would love to get some user input if they think their city has a short yellow light. Time the light the next time you are waiting at a stop light and post it here under comments. Thanks in advance for your help!

See this detailed article!

Red light cameras are going up all over north Texas, and hundreds of motorists are getting citations in the mail each month for running red lights, but one intersection in Plano has seen a significant minor accidents increase in the past 6 months as people slam on their brakes. This is fairly consistent around the country when camearas are installed.

Redflex - 1494 Cameras with $50M in Revenue 2008, Redflex Traffic Systems is the longest consistently-operating company in the photo enforcement industry. The company, with operations based in Arizona USA and Australia. http://www.redflex.com As the industry leader, Redflex has more contracts in more states than any other vendor. Public safety programs range from those in smaller cities with only a few camera installations to larger cities where red light or speed-enforcement cameras are employed at dozens of intersections. The REDFLEXred® and REDFLEXspeed® photo enforcement technology innovated at Redflex provide unsurpassed accuracy in reducing red light- and speed- related traffic collisions. Statistics in most Redflex-protected cities show significant reductions in most collisions, injuries and costs associated with unlawful driving.

ATS - 1000 Cameras with $40M in Revenue 2008. American Traffic Solutions, Inc. (ATS) is a leading provider of technology and business solutions for photo traffic safety and electronic toll enforcement programs worldwide. Our President and CEO, James Tuton, pioneered the automated photo traffic enforcement industry in the United States, with the first speed-camera program implemented in Paradise Valley, Arizona in 1987. The red-light camera industry followed nearly 10 years later. As the market has matured and grown, so has ATS. ATS has grown more than 500% since 2003 and is now the largest provider of traffic enforcement programs to America’s big cities including: New York City, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Washington, D.C.; St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri; San Diego, California; Seattle, Washington; Houston, Fort Worth, Irving and Arlington, Texas; New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, Glendale and Scottsdale, Arizona. ATS also provides Canada’s largest digital red-light camera and speed enforcement program in Calgary, Alberta. ATS serves more than 125 municipalities and government agencies (both large and small) with red-light and speed camera enforcement programs. We have installed nearly 1,000 cameras around the country, with hundreds more in various planning stages.

Nestor - 400 Cameras
ACS - 300 Cameras

RedSpeed - 300 Cameras
Laser Craft - 250 Cameras

Gatso - 250 Cameras and big in Europe

Traffipax -
Transol -
Peek Traffic -

PLANO, Texas -- Traffic cameras recently installed at a handful of intersections in Plano have generated thousands of traffic tickets, police said. After little more than one month, four cameras installed at busy intersections have captured nearly 3,000 drivers running red lights. In fact, Plano police said one driver was caught on tape running the same light three times in a span of two weeks. NBC 5 reported that city wants to install more red light cameras during the summer.