More questions have been raised about the privately-run automated school zone speed camera program in Ringgold, Georgia, after a Rossville resident had his citation dismissed by a court due to a lack of legally-required signage.
Supporters say the automated speed camera program on Tennessee Street, or Highway 151, near Rossville Middle School has improved safety by reducing the number of speeders, while critics argue against allowing a private company to enforce the law because of concerns over due process.
The program began issuing citations Dec. 1, after a monthlong warning program.
For a speeding infraction from Jan. 13, Rossville resident Ray Blankenship received a speeding ticket in the mail with a photograph of his vehicle from one of the cameras. His vehicle was clocked going 38 mph in a 25-mph zone, the citation said, but he said he wasn’t driving the car and was at work during that time.
Blankenship said he wasn’t happy to find out a private entity from a different state was surveilling Georgians.
“That’s not really cool,” Blankenship said in a phone interview.
The speed camera program is run by Blue Line Solutions, a Chattanooga-based company founded by former law enforcement officers. Kelly Abercrombie, vice president of operations for the company, said in an email that tickets are sent to those speeding 11 mph or more than the posted 25 mph school zone speed limit.
Blankenship said his daughter was driving the car when the infraction occurred, but he said the broader issue is who is driving the vehicle can’t be proven with the automated program. If someone was borrowing his car and got a speeding ticket from an officer, the driver would get the ticket — and that’s how this program is different, he said.
The citation detailed how he could pay the $100 ticket by mail or call to contest the ticket through an administrative hearing at Ringgold Municipal Court.
According to statistics from Ringgold Mayor Nick Millwood, there were 781 citations issued in December, 480 in January, 378 in February and 212 in March.
From both the $100 citation for a first offense and $125 for any speeding citations after that, state law gives $25 to the company contracted with a municipality for processing.
In an email, Millwood said he was working to obtain statistics about the number of dismissals of speed camera tickets, but that total wasn’t made available before deadline.
At his first court date, Blankenship said he saw a friend who was bringing information about the program’s improper signage to help another friend contest their ticket. Blankenship said he thought his ticket would be dismissed because he had a signed affidavit proving he was at work when the ticket was issued, but the judge asked him to bring his daughter to court.
“Heck to the no, I’m not bringing my daughter in here,” Blankenship said about the judge’s request to bring her to court.
State law allows owners of the vehicle ticketed to petition for a dismissal if they bring an affidavit denying they were the driver when the infraction occurred.
Another court date was scheduled, and Blankenship’s friend with information on insufficient signage gave him that information, too, Blankenship said. He declined to name his friend who told him about the signage dismissals.
(READ MORE: Ringgold, Georgia’s Highway 151 gets speed cameras to enforce limits)
When Blankenship returned to court May 1, the judge told him the speed camera program’s signage was in compliance with the law.
“Yes sir, you may be now,” Blankenship said he told the judge. “This ticket, if you look at the issue date, was in January, and I said, ‘Y’all didn’t get that fixed until March.’ He just looked up at me and said, ‘Case dismissed. Have a nice day.'”
Blankenship said he missed about four hours of work, costing him much more than the $100 ticket. He said he didn’t hire an attorney to contest the ticket.
“I’m that person that once I sink my teeth into something, I don’t let go,” Blankenship said about the effort to fight his ticket. “That’s just kinda how I am.”
The state law governing speed cameras needs to be revisited, he said, because having what he called a surveillance state is a bad idea.
Kelly Bomar, a member of the Ringgold City Council, said the panel gets periodic updates on the camera program, and he said he understands the number of citations has been drastically reduced since the cameras were operational.
Ringgold City Council members Sara Clark, Earl Henderson and Jake Haynes were asked by email about oversight of the speed camera program — as well as the number of citations issued and dismissed — but didn’t respond. City Council member Rhonda Swaney was asked about the program on Facebook Messenger, but she didn’t respond.
Mark Hutchinson, founder and chief of operations for Blue Line Solutions, said in a phone call the mission of the company is not to write as many tickets as it can — it’s to reduce speeding.
“Georgia law requires there be a warning sign: photo enforcement ahead,” Hutchinson said. “A part of our program that’s not required is a radar speed sign that shows you your speed.”
Also posted are flashers to warn about the school speed zone, he said.
People don’t like getting tickets, but Hutchinson said the program is about as transparent as possible.
Jimmy Gray is a resident of Ringgold who’s active in local civic issues and the Catoosa County Republican Party. He said on Facebook Messenger he’s heard about a lot of speed camera tickets dismissed after drivers cite the state law regulating signage of the speed camera program.
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But Gray said not everyone who is ticketed knows how to argue for a dismissal.
“If the citizen just pays it or doesn’t fight it, then too bad, they are out of that money,” Gray said.
When told as many as 1,639 speed camera citations may have been issued in the three months before the signage was brought into compliance, Gray said he thinks the fines should be refunded because the citizens shouldn’t have to point out the law to a judge.
Contact Andrew Wilkins at awilkins@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6659.