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Police Want Traffic Cameras Back Despite State Restrictions
By: Associated Press
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DAYTON, Ohio (AP) – Police in an Ohio city say a spike in deadly crashes is behind their push to bring back traffic cameras after abandoning them in response to state restrictions.
Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl says officers will need to be posted at the camera locations to actually issue tickets in order to comply with a state law passed in 2014. Police say traffic deaths have gone up 45 percent since then.
Biehl says he can only staff the 10 proposed fixed-camera sites for about eight hours a week. The city also wants to use portable cameras.
Dayton has asked the state Supreme Court to overturn the restrictions, saying they make cameras too expensive.
The state has argued officers are needed to detect malfunctions and situations that clearly call for an exemption from ticketing.
The court has not yet ruled.