NJ - Assembly panel OKs local police radar use

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Assembly panel OKs local police radar use


TRENTON

Photo radar aimed at flagging speeders took a first step toward being allowed on county and local streets in New Jersey, after a vote Thursday by the Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee.

Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, D-Princeton, said the goal is to reduce fatal car crashes, not create a new funding source for cash-strapped towns. But he also noted Washington, D.C. has collected more than $100 million in camera-generated fines, including $100 from him.

"Police cannot be 24-7 at any individual location, but photo radar devices can be very successful," said Gusiciora, who said 16 cities in the country use it today. He noted cameras can reduce infractions without incurring salary and pension costs.

-- Gannett State Bureau

[StlouisX50]

Smile, you just got caught speeding
Friday, May 12, 2006

A bill that would allow county and local police around the state to use photo radar devices to enforce speed limits was unanimously approved by an Assembly committee.

"Photo radar devices will give local law enforcement the tools it needs to enforce speed limits and slow drivers down," said Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer), a sponsor of the bill. "These devices free up patrol men and women who would otherwise be required for enforcement du ties."

Here's how it works: A camera is attached to a radar unit and automatically takes a photograph of any vehicle exceeding the speed limit. A ticket is then mailed to the home of the registered owner of the vehicle.

"Just knowing that a photo radar system is in place makes drivers less inclined to speed or try to squeeze through a light that's turning red," Gusciora said. "This is an innovative and economical way of assisting law enforcement in cracking down on the dangers of speeding motorists in New Jersey."

The bill (A2064) now heads to the full Assembly. Groups urge state to give more, not less, to colleges Even as state lawmakers ponder huge cuts to higher education funding, representatives of two think tanks urged more subsidies, not less, to prevent public colleges and universities from becoming too pricey.

"Yes, the state should live within its means. But that doesn't mean saying no to everything," said Jon Shure, president of New Jersey Policy Perspective, a liberal think tank that just completed a report that found state support for higher education has dropped from 10 percent in 1983 to 5 percent this year.

Shure's group urged tax increases to avoid a reduction in state funding pegged at $308 million by higher education officials.

Meanwhile, Robert Haney Jr., in an analysis for the Hall Institute of Public Policy, warned that tuitions and fees are skyrocketing due to the state's lagging support. Average full-time tuitions are $5,353 and, even when student aid programs are considered, "public higher education has become unaffordable for the lower-middle-income families, and threatens soon to become unaffordable for the middle class." Also ... Other bills that cleared committee:

# S1195: Prevents pharmacists from refusing to dispense medication on the basis of philosophical, moral or religious reasons. It heads to the full Senate.

# S1550: Extends eligibility for tuition assistance and increases the number of tuition-free credits to state colleges for National Guard members who had their education interrupted by deployment. The bill (A2542) already has passed the Assembly and heads to the full Senate.

# A1810: Prohibits financial institutions from releasing a customer's personal information unless the customer gives them permission. It heads to the full Assembly. It's the law! Gov. Jon Corzine signed the following bill into law:

# A1053: Prohibits taking and processing of fish on a vessel more than 165 feet in length in marine waters -- which are defined as the "waters of the Atlantic Ocean within three nautical miles of the state's coast, and include Delaware, Great, Raritan, and Sandy Hook bays."