Tempe Traffic Enforcement Camera program logs 26,000 citations — Traffic Enforcement Camera
Tempe’s traffic enforcement camera program issued more than 26,000 citations in its first six months, even as city officials said collisions have fallen at the monitored intersections. The program went live a year ago and now covers 14 intersections with two mobile units that move every two weeks.
Between June and November, 42% of the citations were dismissed, 30% of drivers chose defensive driving school and 24% admitted guilt. Greg Bacon, a Tempe Traffic Enforcement Unit lieutenant, said the city has seen progress but is not there yet.
Greg Bacon On Tempe
“Our rear end collisions at those intersections are down. Our overall collisions are down at those 14 intersections, and we have not had a fatality at an intersection where we have photo enforcement,” Bacon said. He also said “the goal is to see a decline in citations issued” and that “the program is not about generating revenue for the city.”
The citation totals show the program is still producing a large number of tickets even as Tempe says crashes are dropping. The city said dismissals can mean it was not able to make contact with the driver or that a judge later threw out the ticket.
Josef Johnson’s Ticket
Josef Johnson, one driver who received a citation, described the stop in simple terms: “The person in front of me was taking too long of a time and I was kinda behind them and then they finally decided to go and I was behind them. So I went with them and got flashed and they didn’t.” After taking the online defensive driving class, he said, “I did not learn anything from it.”
James Henderson backed the cameras, saying, “A lot of people complain because they feel that the cameras are watching them and it’s evading their privacy, but really it’s saving lives.” Tempe’s data gives that debate a concrete measure: 26,000-plus citations in half a year, plus a dismissal rate that left a substantial share of tickets without a fine or guilt finding.
Phoenix Speed Cameras
Phoenix recently launched speed cameras and issued 7,900 citations between March 25 and May 4. For Tempe drivers passing through the 14 monitored intersections, the practical reality is immediate: the program is active, the mobile units keep moving every two weeks, and the city says it wants fewer tickets, not more.
