Santa Fe speed van snapping pictures

Posted at: 11/04/2009 7:09 PM
By: Gadi Schwartz, Eyewitness News 4; Charlie Pabst, KOB.com

Santa Fe's speed van is snapping pictures, and warning tickets are being mailed out to speeders.

The van will be the only automated camera enforcement in Santa Fe, with red light cameras still nowhere in sight.

It's been almost a year since Santa Fe's city council passed the red light camera bill, but because Cerrillos Road— the future home of four red light cameras— is a state road, the city has been waiting on the state to approve the project.

City Councilor Ron Trujillo said, "Being that the ordinance has passed, I was hoping by now the red light cameras would be running up here in the City of Santa Fe, but were we have had a little glitch has been the department of transportation."

There is still no time frame for when those cameras will go up, but Santa Fe police have rolled out a mobile version of the cameras.

Their photo enforcement SUV is now clocking speeders and sending them warnings.

So far, police say drivers aren't slowing down.

Santa Fe Police Captain Anthony Robbin said Wednesday, "Well, people can actually see how many violations are out there— I mean 1,200 violations in a week, you know, a week and a half, is incredible."

Police say they have been working with the Redflex company, which operates the SUV and future red light cameras, to set up accounts for fines to be paid.

Fines for speeders will start being mailed out on December 1, when the warning period ends.

Tickets will range from $86 to $100.

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