CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) - A decision by Hamilton County officials to approve the purchase of two speed detection lasers equipped with cameras has gotten so much public backlash that the panel plans to hold another vote on the issue.
Hamilton County Commissioner Marty Haynes told The Chattanooga Times Free Press (https://bit.ly/1mhXRKb) that a revote would come next week and would likely have a different outcome.
Commissioners voted 5-4 on Wednesday in favor of purchasing the devices, which would allow sheriff’s deputies to send speeding tickets to drivers without pulling them over.
The vote came during a combined agenda and voting session, which meant the public learned about the issue shortly before the meeting began.
Three commissioners who voted for the measure say they changed their minds after hearing from residents who were against it.
“The public has made it very clear they are not in favor. My vote will change,” Haynes said. “The firestorm over this has been pretty, well, pretty brutal.”
Commissioners Chester Bankston and Larry Henry, told the newspaper on Thursday they also plan to change their votes.
“I’ve told (Chairman Fred Skillern) to put it back on the agenda,” Bankston said. “I’ll make the motion, or second it or whatever, next week. I already told someone today, I don’t have any butt left.”
The commissioners said they didn’t have time before the vote to hear from residents.
“We normally have a week in between our agenda session to hear from our constituents. We didn’t this time, and I listen to my constituents. That’s why I changed my mind,” Bankston said.
“I’ve been here for a long time, and I’m man enough to admit a mistake,” Henry said Thursday. “And yesterday was a mistake.”
Commissioner Greg Beck, a City Court officer who made the first motion to support the measure, said his vote won’t change. He said the cameras would allow officers to catch speeders in areas where it would be unsafe to make a traffic stop.
“I’ve explained to (constituents) that we are talking about officer safety. They are going to post offices, in school zones, so it’s student safety and parent safety, too,” Beck said. “And there’s some revenue coming from it. Half would be split with the county and half would go to educating our kids.”
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Information from: Chattanooga Times Free Press, https://www.timesfreepress.com
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