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  1. #1
    Yoda of Radar
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    Post Texas Police Chief Fired for Questioning Red Light Cameras

    Texas Police Chief Fired for Questioning Red Light Cameras
    Former police chief sues College Station, Texas after being fired for opposing revenue raising with traffic cameras.

    Questioning the wisdom of photo enforcement can be fatal to the career of a top law enforcement official. Former Texas police Chief Michael Clancey found this out the hard way when he dared to suggest that the College Station City Council should not use red light cameras as a budgetary tool. Clancey filed a lawsuit in federal court last month demanding punitive damages and back wages from the city which, he claimed, violated his First Amendment rights.

    "When the city first considered implementing red light cameras, the program was justified as a revenue-generating program, and was listed for public discussion and comment on the city council docket," Clancey's lawsuit explained. "Clancey voiced his opposition to the description of the program, explaining that he believed the red light project should be based upon concerns for public safety. This matter was not raised by Clancey in his official capacity. Rather, Clancey expressed his opinion as a citizen of College Station."

    In retaliation, City Manager Glenn Brown and Assistant City Manager Kathy Merrill gave Clancey a sharply negative performance review.

    "Mr Brown and Ms Merrill failed to provide any details for how Clancey could improve his performance," the lawsuit claimed. "Rather, Clancey was simply told to improve his performance by November 1, or he would be subject to termination, and provided no direction that would allow him to meet management's expectations."

    Clancey claimed that he never had a chance to defend himself to city officials before he was given the choice of resigning or being fired on October 26, 2007. Clancey chose to cite "family reasons" and resign.

    Clancey's dilemma sheds light on the difference in opinion regarding photo ticketing in the law enforcement community. Top brass, represented by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, not only endorse the use of red light cameras and speed cameras, the organization makes money from "certification" of the devices. On the other hand, officers in the field tend to oppose automated ticketing machines. The Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, for example, represents over 2600 police officers in Phoenix, Arizona. The group recently testified against the state's photo radar program.

    Clancey started his law enforcement career thirty years ago in Alexandria, Virginia where he rose from beat cop to captain before taking the job of chief in Westerville, Ohio in 1999. Clancey took the higher-profile College Station job in 2005. The crime rate dropped sixteen percent during his tenure. For its part, College Station officials released an internal affairs report attacking Clancey for his involvement in the cancellation of a "failure to obey a police officer" ticket issued by a rookie officer on October 9, 2007 to the daughter of a police lieutenant. The report was finalized after Clancey was forced to quit.

    A copy of Clancey's lawsuit is available in a 400k PDF file at the source link below.

    Source: Complaint filed by Michael Clancey (US District Court, Southern District of Texas, 5/15/2009)

    Regional News:
    Other news about College Station, Texas
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  2. #2
    Yoda of Radar
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    Default Re: Texas Police Chief Fired for Questioning Red Light Cameras

    Just a question, but is there anything we can do to help get this ex-chief his job back? Something should be done to recognize the good leos!
    Laser Interceptor Dual, Laser Interceptor Quad, Valentine 1 & The Escort 8500 X50 - Blue, Uniden BC296D, GRE500, Lasershield, 2011 Kia Soul +, Yamaha FZ6, 2005 Black Dodge Neon SRT-4,


  3. #3

    Default Re: Texas Police Chief Fired for Questioning Red Light Cameras

    I am already working on it since I was a victim of an illegally shortened yellow light a couple of years ago when I had business in College Station, TX.

    Everyone, please post videos and documentation about RLC's which show how RLC's can generate erroneous tickets. Also, if you come across any RLC intersection accident statistics for towns where yellow light timings were deliberately shortened to generate more revenue, please post that as well. Please include links to where you got your information.

    Obviously Michael Clancey is a cop with both integrity and a genuine concern for public safety. Lets help this guy out -- and set an example for other cities which use RLC's for revenue while sacrificing public safety by shortening yellow light timings for the sake of additional revenue.

  4. #4

    Default Re: Texas Police Chief Fired for Questioning Red Light Cameras

    Hi everyone,

    Come on ya'all, lets jump on this and help out a good cop! Here is what I emailed to Clancey's attorney:


    Good afternoon Martin,

    Your client, former Texas Police Chief Michael Clancey, has made the news on the radardetector.net forum. While most cops scourn drivers who use radar detectors simply as criminals who use radar detectors solely to break the law, this couldn't be further from the truth. Not only that, we radar detector enthusiasts in general have a very high respect for law enforcement officers. And our underwear really gets up in a wad when a cop (in this case, your client) with obvious morals, integrity, and a genuine concern for public safety gets railroaded.

    I myself am a victim of shortened yellow light timings in the City of College Station, TX. A couple of years ago I was there on business and got ticketed for running a red light at an intersection which did not have a red light camera. Yet the yellow light timing at this particular intersection (adjacent to the college campus) was illegally shortened to a duration of just 2.9 seconds which is a direct violation of TX state law. Not only that, I contacted Henry Wikes with the TxDOT's Traffic Operations Division. He informed me that the TX DOT uses MUTCD formulas for determining yellow and red light timings for all traffic intersections within the State of TX. He provided me with the exact formulas. After I plugged in the variables, I determined that the yellow light interval at said intersection in question had not only been shortened by exactly one full second from its original 3.9 second duration, but that the present 2.9 second duration is in direct violation of TX state law which stipulates that the minimum yellow light timing must be 3.0 seconds or longer.

    I have asked all radardetector.net members to gather accident statistics for RLC equipped intersections which have shortened yellow light timings versus those same intersections before the RLC's were installed. I already know that at some said intersections across the country that accident rates have jumped upwards as high as around 60% -- all in the name of revenue rather than public safety. Additionally, RLC's have numerous documented flaws within their software and principals of operation which cause these devices to erroneously generate automated tickets. Radardetector.net members have previously posted links to videos which document RLC's erroneously generating false tickets.

    And, of course, every citizen's constitutional right to face their accuser in court has gone out the window with regards to red light cameras since these devices are mechanical devices with no human being watching their operation in real time. In short, red light cameras, initially promoted by both the manufacturers and by city council members as a method for increasing public safety, really are nothing but revenue generators for municipalities. On top of that, the RLC manufacturers are incredibly greedy by demanding a huge chunk of the revenue. This in turn forces municipalities to shorten yellow light timings in order to make the RLC installations not only pay for themselves since the municipalities have to honor their contracts with the RLC manufacturers, but also to justify their continued use by generating revenue.

    In any event, hopefully the following radardector.net forum members will contribute information into the following thread which might be useful for you and your client:

    http://www.radardetector.net/forums/...t-cameras.html

    Hopefully RD.net members will contribute to this thread. In fact, I suggest that your client, Clancey, join the forum and comment within this thread in order to generate a firestorm against improper RLC usage by various municipalities since RLC's are primarily used to generate revenue rather than to promote public safety.

    Sincerest Regards,

    ****** ******
    College Station, TX revenue generation victim

  5. #5
    snoopyc4
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    Default Re: Texas Police Chief Fired for Questioning Red Light Cameras

    Thats too bad that he got fired I guess you can't be a LEO and be opposed to revenue generation at the same time.

  6. #6
    Yoda of Radar
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    Default Re: Texas Police Chief Fired for Questioning Red Light Cameras

    Wish I had time today to send something. I have to work 2 jobs today. I wonder if we all called the city mayor and complained if it would help?
    Laser Interceptor Dual, Laser Interceptor Quad, Valentine 1 & The Escort 8500 X50 - Blue, Uniden BC296D, GRE500, Lasershield, 2011 Kia Soul +, Yamaha FZ6, 2005 Black Dodge Neon SRT-4,


  7. #7
    Speed Demon
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    Default Re: Texas Police Chief Fired for Questioning Red Light Cameras

    Quote Originally Posted by StlouisX50 View Post
    Wish I had time today to send something. I have to work 2 jobs today. I wonder if we all called the city mayor and complained if it would help?
    They could probably care less. You are not their constituent.

  8. #8
    Street Lawyer
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    Default Re: Texas Police Chief Fired for Questioning Red Light Cameras

    Mem-Tek,

    I forgot it was you that was the victim of College Station *shudders*. I believe there's still a ruling in Texas that RLC's must be operated by a business that has a Private Investigator license anyways since they gather evidence that will be used in court.

  9. #9
    Radar Fanatic
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    Default Re: Texas Police Chief Fired for Questioning Red Light Cameras

    That's sad. I wish that he would send all those guys that fired him fake red light tickets in the mail before he leaves.

  10. #10
    Street Lawyer
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    Default Re: Texas Police Chief Fired for Questioning Red Light Cameras

    Quote Originally Posted by Clay_in_Nashville View Post
    That's sad. I wish that he would send all those guys that fired him fake red light tickets in the mail before he leaves.
    LOLOLOL that'd be awesome.

 

 

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