Gurnee wants public to know all about red-light cameras
Gurnee will join a shortlist of towns by hosting public information forums designed to show red-light cameras aren't meant to squeeze cash from motorists to fill village coffers.
Similar to a program Wheeling hosted in February, Gurnee will stage the first of three sessions about photo enforcement from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at village hall, 325 N. O'Plaine Road. Gurnee's system is expected to launch later this month.
Gurnee police crime prevention technician Tom Agos will lead the presentation, accompanied by Mayor Kristina Kovarik and other officials. Agos said he'll describe how the technology works and show what would be a violation.
Agos said the village wants to make busy intersections safer with the cameras, not to part drivers with their cash through a $100 fine that won't count as a moving violation. He said the forums will allot a big chunk of time to questions from those in attendance.
"We don't want people to be afraid," Agos said. "We want people to stop at the red lights."
If Wheeling can be used as a gauge, Gurnee's meetings should go over well.
Wheeling police Cmdr. Peter Panagakis said he led three town hall meetings on red-light cameras in February before the technology went live in the village. He said a session at village hall attracted about 80 spectators and that the feedback was positive.
One of the most popular concerns in Wheeling was about turning right on a red light. Panagakis said he tried to assure audiences that right turns on red already allowed by law can be made at intersections with cameras, provided drivers completely stop before a white line.
"It's probably the best way of going about doing this," Panagakis said of having public meetings before turning on the cameras. "Everybody has questions. Everybody has rumors."
Although he applauds the intentions of Gurnee and Wheeling, traffic-case attorney Matthew Hoffman said the education forums may be more about the villages trying to defuse complaints in advance than caring about drivers. He's against photo enforcement, contending it's about making money for towns and not safety.
Hoffman pointed to an uproar that resulted in Schaumburg after the village collected nearly $1 million in fines from drivers who failed to completely stop before turning right on red at Meacham and Woodfield roads. Schaumburg removed the camera after 2½ months in February, but the village is targeting other intersections for photo enforcement.
In addition, Hoffman said he'd be skeptical of police who state at a public meeting that turning right on red at a photo enforced intersection won't trigger a ticket if a complete stop is made before a white line. He said being slightly off on the stop can result in a ticket.
"It's just like breaking the plane of an end zone," said Hoffman, who handles traffic cases in Lake and Cook counties.
Agos said Gurnee's public information effort about the cameras is sincere and that not many towns are doing it. He said he wanted to host the forums in Gurnee after learning about successful programs in two cities in Ohio and Texas.
"I just think that anything a community can do to be transparent and open to the public is a great idea," Agos said.
Gurnee will begin with a 30-day warning period for alleged violators when it starts the photo enforcement. The village receives about 26 million annual visitors for attractions such as Gurnee Mills and Six Flags Great America.