Can you fix the focus on a blurry photo after the fact?
The birth of Mirrorless Cameras
Pentax K-30: a pretty package of a camera
Choosing your first dSLR camera
New York City can be beautiful!
The Fujifilm Finepix X10, A Review
Choosing the Right Light Stand
Photojojo iPhone Telephoto Lens review — AudioCast
How To Buy Digital Photo Frames For An Exhibit - Part 2
Hey MAC users! A great source and an April Fool that is no joke
My week with Q
How To Become A Successful Photographer
"When the Wind Stopped" — poem with 4 photos
Tips for Textures 
Butterflies in Motion
Cast aways - saving those photographic memories
One Man Show: My 25 Years With Digital Photography
Studio, Flash, & Available Light — Three Books Reviewed
Portrait styling: dangerous pairings
Adobe Photoshop CS6 Product Managers Interview Audiocast
A gift of flowers: unfold your senses
On Set of "Love & Robots" the Film
Exhibiting With Digital Photo Frames (DPF) Part 1
Ilford Galerie Gold Fibre Silk Inkjet Paper — Audiocast
Planning “National Geographic” style photo travel
Find Inner Peace and Beauty at San Jose, California, Airport
Wilderness Travel 1 Rainforests – Essential Gear
Backlighting Basics
A Brief History Of Light & Photography: Part 3 of 3
A Brief History Of Light & Photography: Part 2 Of 3
What Moves You?
FIGURES IN MOTION: Decades of Evolving Personal Imagery in Photography, Part 7
Lomography Store, Austin, Texas — GALLERY
GALLERY — Up to $1,000 Reward for Cattle Rustlers
eyePhone: The eBook for iPhone Photographers
Taking your Portraiture Higher
Interview with Harold Davis — Closeup Maestro of Flowers & Water Drops
Interview with Steve Caplin — Photoshop Digital Artist, Commercial Illustrator, & Author
Easy technique to select, edit and sequence keywords for web
How much should you charge for a photograph?Cops Don't Like Red Light Cameras Either
But only because they can't get away with running traffic lights as they once did
Well here’s something that most citizens and cops can agree upon. We both dislike red light cameras.
Unlike some privacy advocates, I won’t argue that cities don’t have the right to install these cameras. After all, we don’t really have an expectation of privacy in public.
I just don’t like them because I like to run the occasional red light.
I also don’t like them because it’s pretty much a scam. The governments and the camera companies end up splitting the fines that are collected.
In Miami, it is generally accepted that you can run a light within a second after it turns red because most cops down here don’t bother to enforce these infractions.
For the most part, Miami cops don’t bother you unless you are committing a violent crime or taking their photo.
You can pretty much drink and drive, smoke pot, run red lights, cut people off in traffic, drive over the speed limit and Miami cops will leave you alone as long as you’re not meddling into their business.
Even if that business happens to be our business as tax-paying citizens, which makes them no different than cops throughout the United States.
And that is exactly why cops throughout the country are not appreciating the red light cameras.
The cameras, after all, don’t play favorites when it comes to cops running red lights. They don't allow the usual professional courtesy of allowing cops to let other cops off the hook after pulling them over (and learning they are cops).
According to the Baltimore Sun:
Police officers are getting caught, and are crying foul. The camera doesn't care whether a cop is off-duty and going shopping in his personal pickup truck or is on duty and speeding to a bank robbery in a marked police cruiser, lights flashing and siren blaring.
Go through a red light ($75 fine) or speed ($40 fine) and the camera snaps a picture.
There's an official record, and it takes more than a wink and a nod to extend "officer courtesy" to a fellow cop.
Even on-duty officers in marked patrol cars aren't getting out of paying the fines. Many Maryland jurisdictions are holding officers and other emergency workers personally liable for the tickets, unless they can prove they were responding to legitimate emergencies at the time.
The Palm Beach Post reported a similar story regarding cops in West Palm Beach.
And while many politicians seem to be supporting these cameras, one republican state senator from Miami-Dade has introduced a bill that would ban these cameras by July 2011.
"It is an unwarranted, big-brother initiative," said (Rene) Garcia in a release. "We need to ensure that citizens are treated fairly, and this bill will protect Floridians from intrusive snapshots and inaccurate ticketing. Local governments have used these cameras to tax their citizens under the disguise of safety."
Comments
Albuquerque turned the speed enforcement feature off. The state had already made them shut down the cameras on all state highways. The speed feature is what I really dislike, as it is a radar device and properly using those requires a trained operator (on the scene, not reviewing a recording) to avoid misreadings. Rio Rancho is getting the darned things. We are free from them in the county and Los Ranchos, so I tend to run errands in those areas.
So what is a legitimate reason for an on duty officer running a light? I work the midnight shift and a lot of times if there are no vehicles around I will stop at a red light and then go through it to catch up to traffic looking for drunks or other people to (as you would say) harass.
If I was forced to pay a ticket I received on duty I would never commit another driving infraction again. I would respond to all runs the same. Stop for every light and every stop sign and maintain the speed limit. Husband beating wife, shots fired and barking dogs would all get the exact same response and you can forget about pursuits since those have the tendency to exceed the speed limit.
Oh here we go! Waaaaah! or is it Squeeeeeeal!? If you can't be above the law and untouchable, then your bottom lip sticks out and we'll all be lucky if you perform your job at all. You sense of entitlement is precisely why we need these against cops.
Whatever, I will still get the same pay at the end of the week I would just be doing less work. It's a win win.
Just so we are clear I am talking about on duty only. If it was off duty I would pay it, it's not like I haven't gotten away with a few in my time (wink wink).
If it's not legal for me to do then it's not legal for an officer. If the lights are pointless after a late hour suggest they change to 4 way stop at that hour.
It's officers like you that this blog exits.
How can any one be expected to put there trust in some one that thinks there above the law.
There is a difference between pursuit and patrolling then you don't deserve my tax dollars.
Why should I sit at a red light by myself for 40 seconds when I can bust it and catch up to traffic and maybe find a drunk driver, or a buzzed driver using twitter. Trying to be proactive makes me think I'm above the law?
If I bust a red light to get to the doughnut shop then you can whine all you want.
"Why should I"
It's simple it's the law and unless you are actively in pursuit of a suspect you are required to fallow it.
"you can whine"
You are trying to defend your self breaking the vary laws you expect others not to and will ticket them for doing so.
Why should I sit at a red light alone for 40 seconds when I could be transporting my wife in labor to the hospital and go through it?
Why should I sit at a red light alone for 40 seconds when the store is closing and I could get the milk for my children faster if I check both ways and run it?
Why should I sit at a red light alone for 40 seconds when... I could come up with a million reasons why.... none of which would matter if I was caught by a cop and ticketed and harassed for the same thing he/she would do.
Attn: The Police and the Government is NOT above the law, they are sworn to uphold it and to follow it like the rest of us.
And, by the way, you are piece of work for telling us that because you don't get some type of entitlement that you'll be worse cop than you already may be. Many of my friends who are cops would be disgusted with your comments. Get over yourself and stop whining because you are being held accountable for your actions.
Why should I sit at a red light alone for 40 seconds when I could be transporting my wife in labor to the hospital and go through it?
Why should I sit at a red light alone for 40 seconds when the store is closing and I could get the milk for my children faster if I check both ways and run it?
Why should I sit at a red light alone for 40 seconds when... I could come up with a million reasons why.... none of which would matter if I was caught by a cop and ticketed and harassed for the same thing he/she would do.
Attn: The Police and the Government are NOT above the law, they are sworn to uphold it and to follow it like the rest of us.
And, by the way, you are piece of work for telling us that because you don't get some type of entitlement that you'll be worse cop than you already may be. Many of my friends who are cops would be disgusted with your comments. Get over yourself and stop whining because you are being held accountable for your actions.
Why should I sit at a red light alone for 40 seconds when I could be transporting my wife in labor to the hospital and go through it?
Why should I sit at a red light alone for 40 seconds when the store is closing and I could get the milk for my children faster if I check both ways and run it?
Why should I sit at a red light alone for 40 seconds when... I could come up with a million reasons why.... none of which would matter if I was caught by a cop and ticketed and harassed for the same thing he/she would do.
Attn: The Police and the Government are NOT above the law, they are sworn to uphold it and to follow it like the rest of us.
And, by the way, you are piece of work for telling us that because you don't get some type of entitlement that you'll be worse cop than you already may be. Many of my friends who are cops would be disgusted with your comments. Get over yourself and stop whining because you are being held accountable for your actions.
I can see how you going to get milk and me looking for drunk drivers are the same thing.
I would give you a pass on the wife in labor thing and I think most cops would.
I don't think wanting to do my job without having to worry about getting a ticket for responding to a run too fast because somebody sitting behind a desk doesn't think the run was a big enough emergency has anything to do with entitlement.
Like I said, if you see me go through a red light and then pull into the doughnut shop and order a doughnut you can whine, if you catch me doing that I will write myself a ticket. If I go through a red light responding to a family disturbance so I can get there faster and hopefully keep it from escalating than don't whine.
"I can see how you going to get milk and me looking for drunk drivers are the same thing."
No but they are both in category of non emergency.
"worry about getting a ticket for responding to a run"
If your responding to a call that needs you to run lights speed and brake other traffic laws hit the lights and siren and do so.
"go through a red light and then pull into the doughnut shop"
There are a few organizations that do just that and regularly get arrested when all they are doing is filming the officers.
Have you ever gotten a ticket from a fellow officer? Have you ever seen a fellow officer run a light or other traffic infraction? Did you give them a ticket? Did you give your self a ticket during those "(wink wink)" times?
Lets say I see and have video of that vary thing or something similar. What can I do to make sure they get a ticket?
"If your responding to a call that needs you to run lights speed and brake other traffic laws hit the lights and siren and do so"
So whenever I go above the speed limit you want me to put on lights and sirens? Do you know how stupid and unreasonable that is? Using lights and sirens sometimes confuses other drivers and makes it harder to get where your going. I don't activate them unless I really have to.
"There are a few organizations that do just that and regularly get arrested when all they are doing is filming the officers."
There are organizations that go through red lights and pull into doughnut shops?
"Have you ever gotten a ticket from a fellow officer? Have you ever seen a fellow officer run a light or other traffic infraction? Did you give them a ticket? Did you give your self a ticket during those "(wink wink)" times?"
No I have never gotten a ticket from another cop or myself. I pulled over a guy yesterday for speeding and didn't give him a ticket. I have no idea what he does for a living. Why can I give that guy a warning but not another officer. I have pulled over maybe 2-3 cops in the last 10 years so don't act like cops are just flying around because they think they can get away with it.
"Lets say I see and have video of that vary thing or something similar. What can I do to make sure they get a ticket?"
The same thing you can do if you bring me a tape of your neighbor running a red light, NOTHING. It isn't against the law to run a red light, it's a civil infraction that has to be witnessed by an officer.
If you staked out a corner and have a tape of an officer running a light or a stop sign or whatever you have two options. You can make a complaint with the city he works in or you can get a life.
"Why can I give that guy a warning but not another officer."
Higher standers, cops have been trained how to drive and what the laws are you know them better then the average person you and every cop have no excuse for braking them.
"lights and sirens"
I meant to put lights OR slights and sirens.
"So whenever I go above the speed limit . . . "
I have never seen a ambulance or a fire truck running speeding or running lights with out there lights and sirens on.
"There are organizations that go through red lights and pull into doughnut shops?"
The police force.
I am referring to organisations that record cops in an attempt to bring countability copwatch, jimmy justice
"or you can get a life"
Why don't you do your job and give your self a ticket when you run stop lights. If you'r not willing to give your fellow cops tickets your just as bad as a cop watching a second one beat a photographer for exercising their rights.
"Higher standers, cops have been trained how to drive and what the laws are you know them better then the average person you and every cop have no excuse for braking them."
Your right cops have been trained how to drive so they are not a danger when they are speeding because they have been trained how to.
"I have never seen a ambulance or a fire truck running speeding or running lights with out there lights and sirens on."
No they want everybody to see them and to know their coming. Are you going to cry if you see an ambulance going 5 mph over the speed limit if they don't have their lights and sirens on?
"Why don't you do your job and give your self a ticket when you run stop lights"
If I did I would have to fight the ticket, then I would get subpoenaed and get paid 4 hours of overtime for going to court, then I would plead the 5th and the judge would have to dismiss the ticket and it would end up costing the taxpayers more money because of the overtime.
"Your right cops have been trained . . ."
Yet cops still have crashes and injuries still happen. So why would any one be Ok with any more vehicles running lights and speeding especially without warning to others drives like lights or lights and sirens?
"No they want everybody to see them and to know their coming."
So dose it not fallow for the cops to have there lights on? I would like to know when some one with no disregard for traffic laws is coming. I don't know about 5mph over but I have never seen them run lights or swerve around people with ought there lights on.
"I would have to fight the ticket"
You don't have to fight a ticket you could just pay it. So I guess you have a way to get over time when ever you want.
odin:
THEY see thru their eyes, and only if they walked again in our shoes would they begain to really "see", perhaps they would understand what you and are talking about, but till then we are i think spinning our wheels!
we will never change how they think, they are part of a click that will never change until the society that created them changes, and in turn makes them change accordingly along with that change! its sad how it is now, but they have to do what they do, and we will continue to monitor them the best way we can, contempt of cop will grow i think and there is nothing they can do about it. its impossible to build that many jails for a variety of reasons! and when cops have hundreds of camcorders/cellphones/flip cameras, trained on them [done legally], maybe they will think, [maybe we need to police our selves better then we are doing currently, seems we are doing a very BAD job!]
it really doesnt matter if all cops are bad or not, its the perception that is bad, and that really needs to change, no matter what is said here, fact is, there are alot of people in the U.S.A. that really hate cops, i not being one of them. but let me tell ya, i am sure begining to distrust them as a whole!
xcuse me for mispellings and perhaps some bad grammar, but i dont want JL to read this.
hal I agree until becoming a cop. I like the idea but I have read quite a few articulates about "good cops" that try to change the system and end up arrested or touched by there coworkers. Also cops don't make much /legally\. I have on the other hand considered becoming a lawyer just to take photos and sue cities and cops if/when I get harassed/arrested.
"It's officers like you that this blog exits"
This blog exists because some photographers think the police harass them. I don't harass photographers. If somebody takes a picture of me I couldn't care less. Maybe they are doing their job, maybe they are just in awe of me, maybe they have nothing better to do, maybe they are just trying to get a reaction. I don't know and I don't care, I have better things to do, snap away.
"photographers think the police harass them"
Photographers specifically Carlos have been detained arrested there property stolen and there time and money wasted for doing something that is 100% legal. That is much more then harassment.
""It's officers like you . . ."
I mean that in a general term. You amendment to not fallowing the law while on duty. Most of the officers that end up featured in this blog like to make up the law.
Ether way it's bad police work and a slippery slope.
"photographers think the police harass them",
this is a LIE!!!, its not think, they are in fact being harassed, i have been on the end of this SHIT myself, i know for a fact what is going on!
Anyone that doesnt see it going on, has blinders on and couldnt see a barn door if they slammed into it and broke their damn nose!
thing now is what is it going to take for this SHIT to stop!
Odin, all them shitheads know they are breaking the LAW, thing is, they dont give a crap, they know they will get away with it!
Really? Me not waiting at a traffic light at 2am by myself because I want to catch up to a pack of cars and find a drunk is me not following the law and thinking I'm above the law?
As far as Carlos' arrest, a jury found him guilty, he thinks it's funny to drive around buzzed, he likes to run red lights and he hates cops. I wasn't there but he sounds like the kind of guy that thinks he is above the law himself.
"looking for drunks"
"maybe find a drunk driver"
"find a drunk"
Yes, in none of your excuses are you chasing a drunk or anyone. If some one where to hit you while you were running the red you would be a fault.
"As far as Carlos' arrest, a jury found him guilty"
Read his profile "including a resisting arrest conviction that he had reversed on appeal"
"he likes to run red lights"
like you?
"he hates cops"
I can't speak for his personal opinion of cops. I would guess it's more along the lines of dose not trust cops. Witch is only reaffirmed every time one of your coworkers harasses a photographer or brakes a traffic law with no recourse or guilt.
Yes, that's what I do. I try to find drunk drivers while I'm on patrol. Does that bother you? Am I violating your rights somehow by targeting drunk drivers?
"I try to find drunk drivers while I'm on patrol."
When you are just on patrol trying to find drunk drivers and not actively chasing some one or trying to pull them over running a red is braking the law. You or any other cop thinking that when they are on patrol the rules of the road to dot apply is not acceptable.
"Does that bother you?"
No I think the drunk driving penalties are not stiff enough.
"Am I violating your rights somehow by targeting drunk drivers?"
No probably not.
On the beat should turn on his blue lights and keep the on, until he/she gets to the location of the 911 call. Go 10 miles over the limit, not a problem either. With the blue lights on.
If officers have difficulty following these simple rules, they will have more problems following the harder ones.
On the beat should turn on his blue lights and keep the on, until he/she gets to the location of the 911 call. Go 10 miles over the limit, not a problem either. With the blue lights on.
If officers have difficulty following these simple rules, they will have more problems following the harder ones.
Cool. I hope that when you or your family is in danger, the cops only go 10 mph over the speed limit to get to you.
If my family is in danger, the cops' difference in speed is irrelevant. Arriving in 10 minutes 15 seconds, versus 10 minutes 30 seconds, are both at leat 10 minutes too late.
"When seconds count, the police are just minutes away" isn't just a catchy slogan. It's the truth.
http://officer.com/online/article.jsp?siteSection=1&id=56744
These people would be glad the cops ran some red lights
There are plenty of times when officers are able to arrive onscene in time to help someone out. If you want us everywhere at once, then hire more. Don't try to slow our response time and then bitch when we aren't there fast enough.
It's Catch-22 with you people.
on the beat:
am I missing something, but i for as far back as i can recall, 911/emergency means, cops and all emer. vehicles are exempt, legally from traffic control devices? am i wrong? and as far as to in what areas, jurisdictions, i though it was through out the U.S.A., in every state.
Only when they are actually in the process of responding to an emergency call. They're not exempt when they're just cruising around town.
Don't want to worry about red light cameras? Print out a dealer tag. For years now when cops pull me over hoping to find something (warrants etc), they leave with nothing. stupid cops
I would tow your car for improper plates
I like them because they are impartial and now that cops are not above the law, I love them. Too many times I've seen 'doughnut runs'.
Carlos, I hope you stop running red lights, driving drunk, etc. People that drive that way kill 10X the number of Americans killed as in 9/11, every year. Don't be a statistic.
The only thing I admitted to doing was running the occasional red light.
The other stuff were just examples of things that you can generally get away with down here.
You've admitted to driving while inebriated previously, just before Christmas last year. You actually tweeted while DUI
And this is somebody you look up to tinfoil? If he kills somebody drunk driving you can send him commissary money.
I admire his determination, his not backing down when he knows he is in the right, his ability confront people, his general likable charisma. I'd prefer he was an angel but he's very human so I forgive most his faults, but can't for DUI. (I've been T-boned by a habitual drunk driver) Perhaps I can convince him. There are millions of others that need convincing as well. Laws should be stiffer, much stiffer.
As for you, what have you ever done for the cause?
What cause?
Did I say I was legally drunk or simply buzzed? You can be buzzed and not be over the legal limit.
"You can be buzzed and not be over the legal limit." I doubt that. Lets not make a court case out of it. Please don't drive while under the influence even if it may not be across the threshold. Keep on reporting, keep up the good fight, keep us entertained with your food creations and reviews, just don't kill or maim someone by being irresponsible.
I'm for law and order. I'm for photographers' rights. I don't care if they shoot my photo at every intersection.
Buzzed driving while updating twitter, what could go wrong there?
I probably was taking pictures too.
All I can say is "good". The cameras can be configured badly, and have caused problems, but I have always thought they're a good thing.
And, sorry, but if you like to "run the occasional light", I hope they use this article as evidence when you DO manage to cause an accident or kill someone.
I support your efforts in just about every way, but this is just plain stupid.
Jay R.,
If they use this article as evidence that I ran a red light and caused an accident in the distant future, it would be improper evidence - not that they wouldn't try because they have used my blog against me before.
But that was determined to be improper evidence in my victorious appeal.
Carlos,
Proving stated intent to disregard the law isn't improper use. They could very legally use it to prove that you knowingly and intentionally break the law and in any decisions for sentencing.
Attempting to use your opinion of police as a validation for an improper arrest is.
Carlos,
Your articles are becoming more and more shrill. You should be embarrassed to put this post up. It's filled with nothing but anti-police ranting. I guess you are pandering to your main audience here though.
Post new comment