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<br />Cities questioning future of red-light cameras - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com <br /> <br />Page 1 of 4 <br /> <br />sun-sentinel.com/news/local/fl-ats-red-light -cameras-deal- <br />20110706,0,1468284.story <br /> <br />South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com <br /> <br />Cities questioning future of red-light cameras <br /> <br />By Ariel Barkhurst, Sun Sentinel <br /> <br />8:18 PM EDT, July 12,2011 <br /> <br />Extended court fights and money <br />problems have some leaders thinking <br />about pulling the plug on red-light <br />cameras at South Florida intersections. <br /> <br />Officials in Pembroke Pines and Fort <br />Lauderdale are considering ending their <br />programs; the !?ro\Yan;LCOllJl1Y <br />Commission is still split on whether photo <br />enforcement was ever a good idea. Q~JIQy <br />Beach decided to hold off on a program <br />until the legal challenges are settled. <br /> <br />advertisement <br /> <br /> <br />"The legal problems have turned out to be much worse than I anticipated," <br />said Browa.rd County Commissioner John Rodstrom. "I thought it would be <br />bad, but not this bad. They've had to hire prosecutors; they've had to take <br />police off the street to testify, only to lose. Everyone thought this was a get- <br />rich-quick scheme. The whole thing has been a disaster." <br /> <br />Fort Lauderdale has made about $290,000 before subtracting court and <br />attorney costs. The city hasn't added those costs up yet. It had projected net <br />gains of around $3.2 million. <br /> <br />Pembroke Pines also expected to make money. Instead, it lost just over <br />$139,000 from July 1, 2010, through May 20, 2011. <br /> <br />That's no surprise considering the performance of some cameras there. One <br /> <br />http://www.sun-sentine1.comlnewsllocallfl-ats-red-light-cameras-deal-20 11 0706,0,51751 0... 7/13/2011 <br />