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Traffic cameras in smaller Iowa towns face ban from legislature

Traffic cameras in smaller Iowa towns face ban from legislature
public. this is the city's second homicide of 20-24. Right now- Iowa lawmakers are working on a bill that could restrict which cities are allowed to install speed cameras. Cities with fewer than 20-thousand people wouldn't be able to use those cameras. That includes Prairie City. It has four cameras. one is a handheld... two are outside of the school on South State Street... and one is on eastbound Highway 63 just west of the Prairie City exit. vlog Senior Reporter Todd Magel spoke to the city's police chief about why he says these cameras help his small town. <PRAIRIE CITY POLICE SAY THEIR SPEED CAMERAS HAVE REDUCED CRASHES IN TOWN AND RAISED A LOT OF REVENUE. NOW THAT COULD CHANGE> <BUT YES, IT ALMOST DOES SEEM LIKE THAT A SMALLER COMMUNITIES ARE MAYBE GETTING SINGLED OUT AND I'M NOT SURE THE REASONING BEHIND IT.> Prairie city Police Chief Kevin Gott feels like some state lawmakers are out to get smaller Iowa towns with speed cameras. For years Republican lawmakers have tried to ban speed cameras saying they're unfair. Now the Iowa house has voted to ban the cameras in towns with fewer than 20 thousand residents. (Rep. John Wills/Dickinson County) < THESE TRAFFIC CAMERAS ARE SPEED TRAPS. I DON'T BELIEVE THEY'RE CONSTITUTIONAL.> Chief Gott says his cameras on highway 163 and near the school are beneficial. Speeding violations have gone from a peak of 8600 a month in 2022, to around 600 a month in 2024. Ticket revenue toped out around 120- thousand dollars a month and has now dropped to 55- thousand a month. Most of that money helped build a new library and will pay for a future fire station. (Kevin Gott/ Prairie City Police Chief) <IT SEEMS LIKE THEY'RE REALLY HURTING THE PEOPLE THAT REALLY NEED IT THE MOST. FOR OUR COMMUNITY, WE'RE A 2000 ISH POPULATION. WE HAVE THREE FULL TIME POLICE OFFICERS. SO IT'S NOT PRACTICAL OR FEASIBLE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SIT OUT, ENFORCE TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY.> <THE SPEED CAMERA LEGISLATION NOW GOES TO THE SENATE WHERE IT FACES AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE. IN PRAIRIE CITY , TM vlog 8 NEWS INL> The bill would also require Webster City... with a population of roughly 77-hundred... to take down its speed cameras. Cameras there are located on Highway 17 and Highway 20. The city of Newton recently voted to put up
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Updated: 9:22 PM CDT Apr 10, 2024
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Traffic cameras in smaller Iowa towns face ban from legislature
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Updated: 9:22 PM CDT Apr 10, 2024
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The police chief in Prairie City says he feels like some state lawmakers are picking on his town. Tuesday the Iowa House passed a new bill that imposes new restrictions on Iowa speed cameras. That includes a ban on cameras in towns with a population of less than 20,000.“Yes, it almost does seem like that smaller communities are maybe getting singled out and I'm not sure the reasoning behind it,” said Prairie City Police Chief Kevin Gott.Gott says he feels like some state lawmakers are out to get smaller Iowa towns with speed cameras. For years, Republican lawmakers have tried to ban speed cameras saying they're unfair.“These traffic cameras are speed traps. I don't believe they're constitutional,” said Rep. John Wills, a Republican from Dickinson County.Gott says his cameras on Highway 163 and near the school are beneficial. Speeding violations have gone from a peak of 8,600 a month in 2022, to around 600 a month in 2024. Ticket revenue peaked at around $120,000 a month and has now dropped to $55,000 a month. Most of that money helped build a new library and will pay for a future fire station.“It seems like they're really hurting the people that really need it the most. For our community, we're a 2,000-ish population. We have three full-time police officers. So, it's not practical or feasible for us to be able to sit out, enforce traffic on the highway,” said Gott.The speed camera legislation now goes to the Senate where it faces an uncertain future.» Download the free vlog app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google PlayGet the latest headlines from vlogRelated coverage

The police chief in Prairie City says he feels like some state lawmakers are picking on his town.

Tuesday the Iowa House passed a new bill that imposes new restrictions on Iowa speed cameras. That includes a ban on cameras in towns with a population of less than 20,000.

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“Yes, it almost does seem like that smaller communities are maybe getting singled out and I'm not sure the reasoning behind it,” said Prairie City Police Chief Kevin Gott.

Gott says he feels like some state lawmakers are out to get smaller Iowa towns with speed cameras. For years, Republican lawmakers have tried to ban speed cameras saying they're unfair.

“These traffic cameras are speed traps. I don't believe they're constitutional,” said Rep. John Wills, a Republican from Dickinson County.

Gott says his cameras on Highway 163 and near the school are beneficial. Speeding violations have gone from a peak of 8,600 a month in 2022, to around 600 a month in 2024. Ticket revenue peaked at around $120,000 a month and has now dropped to $55,000 a month.

Most of that money helped build a new library and will pay for a future fire station.

“It seems like they're really hurting the people that really need it the most. For our community, we're a 2,000-ish population. We have three full-time police officers. So, it's not practical or feasible for us to be able to sit out, enforce traffic on the highway,” said Gott.

The speed camera legislation now goes to the Senate where it faces an uncertain future.

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