CSI in the News - CSI Today

Red light cameras show many Staten Islanders are recklessdrivers flirting with deathPublished: Sunday, March 13, 2011, 7:43 AMBy John M. AnneseSTATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Reckless StatenIsland motorists by the thousands wouldrather shave a few seconds off their trip tothe mall then come to a stop and avoidgetting hit with a $50 ticket.And at $50 a ticket, plus a $5 surcharge,that means some $55 million in fines forthe city's coffers.Staten Island Advance/Irving SilversteinThe city has installed a number of dummy cameras on the Island andperiodically change the location of the functioning ones.The cameras are hardly secrets -- thetelltale white boxes sit at nearly two dozenintersections on Staten Island and theirflash bulbs go off again and again everyday.City transportation officials would only say they've installed 15 to 20 of the city's functioning 150 red lightcameras on Staten Island, as well as a number of dummy cameras to keep motorists from breezing throughbusy intersections. The would not confirm the locations.When the program first started in 1993, a meager 50 cameras city-wide -- six to eight on the Island -- weresnapping photos.Working off a list found on wikidriving.com, the Advance checked the locations and found cameras at 23borough intersections. The cameras can typically be found near highway service roads, and at the Island'sbusiest intersections on streets like Clove Road, Richmond Avenue and Hylan Boulevard.---Where are they? See the interactive map---"We do move the locations from time to time. We can't verify anything in that list," said Seth Solomonow, aPage 118 of 179