Law enforcement officials from around Iowa gathered at the capitol to tout what they see as the benefits of traffic cameras that issue tickets to speeders and red light runners, but there’s gathering momentum for a bill that would make those cameras illegal. Republican Senator Brad Zaun of Urbandale has been trying to ban these cameras for years. Now that Republicans are in full control of the legislature, Zaun sees an opening.
Council Bluffs Police Chief Tim Carmody says traffic enforcement cameras are a “force multiplier.”
Traffic cameras have been an issue at the statehouse for several years. After several failed efforts to ban the devices, Governor Terry Branstad ordered the D-O-T to review the placement of traffic cameras. In 2015, the D-O-T ordered the cities of Cedar Rapids, Sioux City, Muscatine and Des Moines to take down or move cameras, but a lawsuit was filed to challenge that order.
