A bill making its way through the Mississippi Legislature has put the skids on Southaven’s plan to install traffic cameras in the DeSoto County city.
Mayor Greg Davis says it doesn’t make sense at this point to continue with the nearly two-year project to use cameras to catch those who run red lights.
The bill, which would ban cameras in all Mississippi cities and counties, cleared the House this past week and is now awaiting action in the Senate.
If it becomes law, traffic camera systems being used in Jackson and Tupelo and similar ones approved in McComb, Columbus, Natchez and Southaven also would have to be discontinued.
Davis said the prospect means Southaven is temporarily suspending work toward the installation of cameras at four high-traffic, city-owned intersections.
Locally, McComb has contracted with Linthicum, Md.-based Traffipax to install cameras at some intersections around the city.
The cameras, which take two still shots and a 12-second video clip, have bulletproof casings that also withstand changes in salinity or humidity.
Tickets issued in McComb would be similar to handicap parking tickets in that they would be one-time citations that wouldn’t go on driving records or affect insurance rates.
