By Chris Yow
Editor
CENTER POINT — Center Point’s controversial red light cameras may be coming back sooner, rather than later, thanks to the creation of a new Public Safety Department by the city, according to Mayor Tom Henderson
Henderson and his city council hired former Fairfield police officer Antonio Weatherly as a full-time public safety director to head a department. Henderson said the city is still awaiting an Originating Agency Identification Number, required by all law enforcement agencies.
“That number has been applied for, and as soon as that comes through, we’ll let people know in plenty of time when we start using them,” Henderson said.
Weatherly will take over the patrolling of traffic camera footage, and will determine disbursed traffic citations, according to Henderson.Weatherly will also be able to make arrests, enforce city codes and ordinances, but this will not be a city police forcer. The city will still contract Jefferson County deputies for patrol.
When the traffic cameras were installed, Jefferson County deputies were siphoning through the photographs taken by the cameras and sending traffic tickets to drivers. After a lawsuit surfaced, Sheriff Mike Hale then ordered deputies to strictly patrol the area. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed.
State Sen. Linda Coleman, D-Birmingham, sponsored legislation to allow the traffic cameras to be used with several appeals revisions. Former state representative Arthur Payne, R-Trussville, previously sponsored and passed a bill stating the city could use the cameras, despite the lack of a full appeal process.
When the cameras were in use prior to the lawsuit, the city was seeing between $80,000 and $100,000 monthly in revenue. That money, however, could only be used for public safety.
Center Point contracted with Arizona-based Redflex Traffic Systems Inc. to install and operate traffic cameras, as well as handle billing.