At his weekly presser this morning, Mayor D.C. Reeves announced the intersections that will have red cameras installed by this summer.
After a study conducted by the Novaglobal firm, cameras that will monitor red light violations will be installed at the approaches to the following intersections:
- 9th and Bayou on the north, south, east and west approaches.
- 9th and Airport on the north, south, east, and west approaches.
- 9th and Fairfield on the east and west bound approaches.
- 9th and Gregory on the west bound approach.
- Davis and Fairfield on the east and west bound approaches.
These intersections were selected based on crash data collected over the past 10 years.
The infractions that will be enforced will be traveling straight through a red light and making a left turn on a red light.
The NovoaGlobal study done for Pensacola doesn’t seem to be anywhere on the public access part of the city’s website. I also couldn’t find it in any council agenda. A link to the NovoaGlobal, Inc. website is below. In Mayor Reeves’ January 2023 Transition Report, Escambia County Chief Deputy Lyter recommended the use of redlight cameras in the city. Are they also used in the county? Chief Deputy Lyter also reported, “The largest threat to public safety in the city of Pensacola is traffic crashes.” The public is not told the percentage of traffic accidents that involve alcohol but in the city lots of people drink and drive. It’s not just in downtown. The city allows alcohol sales until 3 a.m. each night. The council can adopt an earlier time to include the default state law time of Midnight. Does it also make city streets safer to reduce the PPD’s Traffic/DUI Unit by 60%? I doubt it. Mayor Reeves, City Administrator Fiddler, Police Chief Randall and the Council think so. The Traffic/DUI Unit also patrols the privately-owned entity Cordova Mall seemingly at no cost to the real estate developer who own it. So, as of October 1st, the Traffic/DUI Unit is now reduced to six officers, an average of 1.4 officers on duty each hour, at an annual cost of $164,416 per officer. Chief Randall justified the cut saying that PPD lacked enough “experienced officers” to fill nine positions so they were moved to another part of the PPD. In his report, Chief Deputy Lyter had described, “Over two thirds of the police force have less than 6 years of service.” Chief Randall was not asked and did not explain why the Traffic/DUI Unit was moved from the “Uniform Patrol Division” to a new “Community Outreach Division.” The Sheriff exercises “concurrent” jurisdiction in the city. Sheriff Simmons doesn’t need the city’s permission to enforce laws inside the city all of which is also in the county. Sheriff Simmons could step up Traffic/DUI enforcement inside of the city and especially downtown on his own to include “comprehensive roadside safety checkpoints.” Longer term, there is significant duplication of effort between PPD and the Sheriff. The city could execute an “interlocal agreement” with the Sheriff to provide all “specialized” Traffic/DUI enforcement inside of the city just as Sheriff Simmons does it for the other 96% of the county to include in the Town of Century and perhaps someday the Town of Perdido. https://novoaglobal.com/