SAINT PETERS, MO (KTVI) – Starting September 1st, red light cameras in St. Peters will go dark.
The city’s board of aldermen voted unanimously Thursday night to suspend the use of red light cameras, until the Missouri Supreme Court makes a decision on their legality.
The reason for the suspension is not because the city opposes red light cameras. The issue has to do with whether a red light camera citation can put points on a driver’s record.
Since running a red light is a moving violation, St. Peters city officials feel drivers should get points for this, just like any other moving violation, such as speeding.
But the state’s charge manual says no points should be assessed for red light camera violations. This conflict has brought the issue to the Missouri Supreme Court. “We believe to this day, and will argue to the Supreme Court, that the ordinance that this city has is consistent with the laws of this state,” explains St. Peters City Attorney Randy Weber.
The fate of photo-enforced intersections in St. Peters now depends on the Supreme Court’s ruling. But there’s no timeline on when that will happen.
In the meantime, some residents say they are happy to see the cameras go. Jeannie Jacobs says, “If you just go over the white line a little bit, they take your picture, and I haven’t gotten a ticket yet for one, but I know my son has received a ticket in the mail.”
“Yeah, they’re a huge nuisance,” adds Jeremy Wilson, “Absolutely, I don’t like them.”
In November, St. Charles County residents will vote on whether to ban red light cameras throughout the county, but St. Peters officials insist that wouldn’t apply to their city.
What happens if you were issued a red light camera citation, but haven’t paid it yet? The answer, according to St. Peters’ city attorney, is that you still have to pay it. He says all red light camera citations are valid until the cameras go dark on Monday.
