Chicagoist: City Spends Millions on "Technology"

Scooter Libbby

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 02:00:03 -0600

I would prefer that the city spend the money on placing the ticket printers in all the police cars so the tickets written by the cops are not only readable, but by linking the machine to the master database it would prevent the cops from writing screwed up tickets. Historically, they catch a cop writing tickets on cars that aren't even parked where the cops claim it was parked. They just make up a plate number & then put that ticket on a car illegally parked to make their bosses happy, but then some poor schmuck gets a ticket notice out of nowhere. While the cameras can eliminate that, the city isn't going to force the cops to use this system.

Kfunk

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:53:30 -0600

so it costs $14,000 per camera? What a rip off, you can get a decent digi for under $200. How does this expenditure make us safer or help us lead better lives... oh wait- how about spending $2M on teachers salarys- It think you could trade in 2 or 3 parking ticket cameras for a teacher.

Tower18

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:44:21 -0600

I actually support this. If they have pictures of everything, that puts the burden of proof squarely on their shoulders. The photo should indicate the offense. And if the photo is missing, it should be instant dismissal. This, instead of the defendant having to prove that he/she DIDN'T commit the crime by having photographic evidence themselves. I know I have personally taken pictures of my parking job when I was CLOSE to a no parking sign, but in the safe zone, just in case.

Bronto

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:08:28 -0600

Only like 700 robo-parking tickets before the thing pays for itself. What a bargain!