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Post Info TOPIC: Stephen Ruth, charged with tampering with red-light cameras
Are red light cameras a good way to enforce the law? [7 vote(s)]

Yes
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No
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other / no opinion
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ed11563


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Stephen Ruth, charged with tampering with red-light cameras
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http://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/stephen-ruth-charged-with-tampering-with-red-light-cameras-police-say-1.10775272Reprints

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Stephen Ruth, charged with tampering with red-light cameras, defends actions on Facebook

August 26, 2015 by KEVIN DEUTSCH AND GARY DYMSKI / kevin.deutsch@newsday.com, gary.dymski@newsday.com

An image from a video posted on YouTube

His fans call him the "Red Light Robin Hood," but police call him a criminal.

Stephen Ruth, the Centereach man arrested Tuesday on charges of tampering with several red-light cameras across Suffolk County, said he posted video of his actions on social media as a way to protest what he considers government abuse.

"It's abusive and it's got to stop," said Ruth, 42, a self-described landlord who said he owns several rental properties in the region. "I want to know where the money from these red light tickets are going? Why can't they put these cameras in crime-infested neighborhoods instead? The answer is, they can, but there's no revenue in solving violent crime."

"My taxes have doubled" over the past decade, Ruth added. "They keep taking more and more money from people. When is enough enough?"

Ruth is charged with four counts of third-degree criminal tampering and four counts of second-degree obstruction of governmental administration after he used an expandable painter's pole to push cameras away toward the sky, away from vehicles going through the intersections, police said.

The tampering charges are each punishable by up to 3 months in jail, while the obstruction charges are each punishable by up to a year in jail, officials said.

Ruth said he knew he would be arrested after posting video of his actions, but felt he had to "take a stand" against what he views as a revenue grab by county officials.

Officials said Ruth has been cited for red light camera violations a total of 10 times between December 2010 and June 2015.

He allegedly tampered with cameras in Ronkonkoma, on Ocean Avenue and the Long Island Expressway South Service Road on Aug. 21 and on Aug. 24, Suffolk County police said.

On Tuesday, before police arrested him at his home, he tampered with two cameras at Hawkins Avenue and the LIE South Service Road, also in Ronkonkoma, police said.

Several visitors to Ruth's Facebook page applauded his post, one describing the cameras as "government spying."

Another posted: "I love you !! XO."

Ruth also had posted a video showing visitors to his page how to use a pole to adjust the cameras away from the intersection. The post had more than 230,000 views by about 8 a.m.

"I just saved people about $10,000 today ..." he says after showing one camera adjustment.

Ruth was arrested by Sixth Precinct Crime Section officers at about 4 p.m. Tuesday based on anonymous tips about a video showing a man manipulating the red-light camera, police said.

Investigators conducted a "painstaking" review of the footage Ruth posted to determine which cameras he had tampered with, said Lt. Milagros Soto, commanding officer of the Sixth Precinct Crime Section.

"The primary reason for these red light cameras is public safety," Soto said. "They're not placed at these intersections arbitrarily. They're placed in locations that have high incidents of crashes. By him tampering with these cameras, not only did he commit a crime, but he also posed a potential danger to motorists."

Newsday reported in 2014 that Suffolk has 189 cameras at 90 intersections. The 2014 Suffolk budget estimated the county would generate $19 million in red-light camera fines.

With Zachary R. Dowdy

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cadiver


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They are not there for safety. If safety is an issue adjust the timing of the light that gives a longer delay between time one direction turns red and the next one turns green.

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ed11563


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cadiver wrote:

They are not there for safety. If safety is an issue adjust the timing of the light that gives a longer delay between time one direction turns red and the next one turns green.

Even with a 3 second pause while all directions show red, people run them anyway. 

 

I've seen plenty of jerks slow down for a red light, glance to see whether there is cross traffic, then just go, without even stopping.

I want those cameras at EVERY intersection.

 

And I want the "school zone" speed cameras back too.



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Mellow Momma


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I thought it was proven that most red light cameras CAUSE more accidents than they prevented from people slamming on their brakes to avoid a ticket.

I know at least a few intersections that have removed them for this reason.

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ed11563


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Mellow Momma wrote:

I thought it was proven that most red light cameras CAUSE more accidents than they prevented from people slamming on their brakes to avoid a ticket.

I know at least a few intersections that have removed them for this reason.

The map attached to the article shows that of 50 camera intersections, 47 had decreases, one had no change and two had increases. 

 



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Mellow Momma


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That's interesting. Maybe it depends on the type of intersection, how busy it is, what is nearby, etc.

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huskerbb


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ed11563 wrote:
cadiver wrote:

They are not there for safety. If safety is an issue adjust the timing of the light that gives a longer delay between time one direction turns red and the next one turns green.

Even with a 3 second pause while all directions show red, people run them anyway. 

 

I've seen plenty of jerks slow down for a red light, glance to see whether there is cross traffic, then just go, without even stopping.

I want those cameras at EVERY intersection.

 

And I want the "school zone" speed cameras back too.

Cameras don't prevent jack squat.  They can only issue a violation after the fact.   



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ed11563


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huskerbb wrote:
ed11563 wrote:
cadiver wrote:

They are not there for safety. If safety is an issue adjust the timing of the light that gives a longer delay between time one direction turns red and the next one turns green.

Even with a 3 second pause while all directions show red, people run them anyway. 

 

I've seen plenty of jerks slow down for a red light, glance to see whether there is cross traffic, then just go, without even stopping.

I want those cameras at EVERY intersection.

 

And I want the "school zone" speed cameras back too.

Cameras don't prevent jack squat.  They can only issue a violation after the fact.   

The fines can add up for someone who is a jerk. 

And the cameras catch those pesky intersection collisions.



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Lawyerlady


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Let's see - a guy who habitually runs red lights is upset about red light cameras? Can't really muster up much sympathy for him at all.

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I have nothing against cameras themselves. They record important facts, like who is at fault in an accident that they record. I do take issue with fines being issued based on images collected by them though. If they want to issue a citation fir an infraction, there should be a officer there, on site, doing so. Doing it via the mail based on something seen by a camera and triggered by a sensor is just a little too "1984" for me.

(you young folks may need to look up the "1984" reference)

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