Group to inspect red-light camera system
Spokane representatives involved in selecting a company to run cameras that catch red-light runners will travel to Baltimore soon to inspect and inquire about how that city’s operation is working. Affiliated Computer Services and Nestor Traffic Services contracted with the East Coast city about 21/2 years ago, officials said. Despite concerns raised regarding ACS’ involvement in an ongoing bribery case in Edmonton, Alberta, the city of Spokane’s nine-member selection committee voted 5 to 4 to go with the jointly operated company. “It’s a huge multibillion-dollar company, and things like that happen in companies that size,” said Spokane Police Sgt. Eric Olsen, who has headed up the camera project locally. “We look at their overall track record, not just what a couple people did. After the allegations were made known, we assigned two of our committee members to look into it. And so far, there’s nothing we see that makes it unappealing to us.” ACS is accused of offering free sports tickets and trips to two Edmonton police officers in exchange for helping the company win a 20-year, $90 million contract. The company’s trial on charges of offering secret commissions is scheduled for September, Canadian officials said on Tuesday. Edmonton Officers Tom Bell and Kerry Nisbet still face breach-of-trust charges, but the courts dismissed allegations that the two had accepted secret commissions in June, said Edmonton police spokesman Jeff Wuite. The selection committee members going to Baltimore are a city engineer, a court representative and a ranking police officer, Olsen said. One other person may go, but it’s undecided at this point. “I want to do some tire-kicking,” Olsen said. “I want to look at the system and make sure it does what they say it does.” Spokane will foot the bill for the three or four people traveling to the East Coast. Based on an estimate from Red Carpet Travel Service Ltd., the cost could be between $5,000 and $10,000 for airfare, accommodations and food. ACS and Nestor will not pay any expenses, Olsen said. In Baltimore, Nestor – which has two main locations, in Los Angeles and Providence, R.I. – provides all the technical equipment, including a system that can monitor up to five lanes of traffic, Olsen said. ACS, based in Dallas, does the “backroom stuff” such as processing the citations and the paperwork support. Each company independently contracts with city government to run red-light programs, but the two have partnered in a few areas. Olsen thinks the merger of ACS and Nestor is positive, because each has strengths the other lacks. “As chair of the committee, I would say if we are not happy with what we see then we’re going to do a site visit with American Traffic Solutions, which is up and running in Seattle, where it has been in operation for about a year,” Olsen said. That system, however, has two features the committee didn’t like: Its camera equipment monitors four lanes, rather than five, and after 800 citations at an intersection the company wanted to charge more money. ACS/Nestor would charge $4,200 per camera per month, or nearly $17,000 per intersection. ATS’ bid was around $4,600 per camera per month, Olsen said. The city plans to start with six intersections. Spokane City Councilman Bob Apple, who is on the selection committee, does not approve of ACS/Nestor, he said Tuesday. “There’s no way I would consider that company,” he said, adding that he thinks the committee chose that option because “it’s the better deal.” No contracts with the companies who operate red-light running programs have been signed, Apple said. Before that happens, it will be “aired through City Council.”