- Arizona lawmakers want voters to decide on camera bans.
- The move follows years of failed photo enforcement efforts.
- A Mesa citation scandal reignited the push to ban cameras.
The debate over traffic cameras in Arizona just won’t stay buried. Last year, it was big news when Phoenix approved the use of $12 million in taxpayer funds to reinstall traffic cameras that it scrapped years ago.
At the time, officials argued that it was necessary because there weren’t enough police to keep streets safe. Now, after a scandal involving a retired judge and more than 45,000 photo enforcement citations, the government might ban them all over again.
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In Mesa, Arizona, lawmakers found that the police department issued 43,096 citations with a retired judge’s signature on them. That happened between 2020 and 2021 but then in 2024, a similar instance happened where another 2,446 citations went out to citizens with another retired judge’s signature.
While the city waved away the concern, saying it was still lawful, lawmakers themselves don’t agree.
“The reality is, I don’t like this photo radar business, and I don’t think it’s fair to the people of Arizona,” Arizona Rep. Teresa Martinez, told Fox 10.
Lawmakers Push for a Statewide Vote
Speaking to the news station, Martinez added, “Insurance went up because of it. I promise you that. They had to pay the ticket, and it’s the wrong judge’s name? The City of Mesa should issue a refund to every person who got a ticket under that wrong judge’s name. That’s not right.” She’s not alone in her criticism, and the state could end up banning the cameras soon.
State Senators Wendy Rogers and Mark Finchem recently proposed a new resolution that would allow citizens to vote on the issue. After a committee meeting on January, 20, the bill received a “do pass” vote so it will continue moving forward.
From here, the resolution will likely go on to another committee or potentially skip that and go to the floor for a vote. If it manages to get to the finish line, voters would have the ability to decide whether or not Arizona bans these cameras for good.
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That said, not every resident is happy about the potential end of traffic cameras. One called out the potential benefit of them, saying, “We do have a lot of party life going on here, a lot of nightlife, and that can increase instances of drunk driving, unsafe driving, and speeding in general.” Another said that it’s plausible that folks will just ignore the citations.
At this point, we’ll have to wait to see how far the bill goes before much else happens. As for Mesa, it says it’s working on a plan to eliminate judges’ signatures from citations altogether.