Arizona Photo Radar Elimination (2010)

Not on Ballot
This measure was not put on an election ballot

The Arizona Photo Radar Elimination Initiative did not appear on the November 2, 2010 ballot in the state of Arizona as an initiated state statute. The initiative looked to ban speed cameras installed on highways and roads across the state. The state first implemented the speed camera system in 2008, when former governor Janet Napolitano predicted safer highways and approximately $90 million of revenue from ticket payments. However, the projected number of revenue had fallen considerably short. The petition drive deadline to submit signatures for ballot consideration was July 1, 2010, but organizers fell short of the signature requirement.

Shawn Dow, who was helping to spearhead the effort, stated to the senate,"The citizens will take care of it. We need cops to do patrol and law enforcement, not cameras."

Text of measure

Summary of initiative

The summary of the initiative, as stated on the Arizona Secretary of State's website, read:

This initiative measure preserves the balance between the rights of individuals and the need for effective law enforcement. This initiative prohibits the issuance or filing of traffic related citations for alleged violations that are detected through the use of photo radar. This initiative keeps the enforcement of our laws in the hands of trained police officers who are authorized by the people, protects Arizona citizens from abuses that accompany the outsourcing of law enforcement to private, for-profit corporations and ensures that the purpose of law enforcement remains to serve and protect and not to generate revenue for governments.

Support

Joe Arpaio, sheriff of Maricopa County and Paul Babeau of Pinal County voiced their displeasure with speed cameras in the state. Their argument included the ineffectiveness of those cameras to stop drunk or aggressive drivers. Babeau also argued that Red Flex, the company operating the camera system, mad a good amount of money off the ticket fines. Babeau said, "It's an unholy alliance and I believe it's a corrupting influence for law enforcement."

Path to the ballot

The group organizing the circulation effort must have gathered the required 153,365 signatures for proposed state statutes by the July 1, 2010 deadline. Signatures must have been collected from registered voters who are residents of the state. If enough were obtained by that date, the measure would have been placed on the ballot. Sponsors first filed the initiative application on December 2, 2008.

See also

• Arizona 2010 ballot measures
• Arizona Save Speed Cameras Proposal (2010)

Additional reading

• Redflex Catching Flack From Arizona Voters Over Camera Surveillance