Redmond police outline photo-enforcement plan, council signals OK to begin RFP process

The Redmond Police Department on Tuesday presented a data-driven proposal to test photo enforcement—photo radar and red‑light cameras—as a traffic‑safety tool, and councilors signaled support to begin a vendor request‑for‑proposal (RFP) process.

Chief Devon Lewis and Lieutenant Curtis Chambers told the council the aim is to change driving behavior, reduce speeds and cut serious‑injury and fatal crashes by placing cameras at data‑identified hot spots such as Highway 97, Highway 126 and Fifth and Sixth streets. “Traffic enforcement is one of our top complaints, year after year,” Chief Lewis said. He described the Traffic Safety Working Group’s process of gathering complaints, conducting site visits and speed surveys, and developing engineering or enforcement responses.

The presentation cited a 2024 Oregon Department of Transportation review indicating photo enforcement can reduce speeds by up to about 14 percent and cut school‑zone incidents roughly in half; the department also cited an example where the 85th‑percentile speed dropped by about 5 miles per hour. Lewis said vendors’ systems typically provide still photos and supporting video, and that cameras would be paired with advance signage to encourage compliance.

Councilors focused questions on privacy, data ownership, personnel and operational hours. Councilor Kat asked how many officer hours the program would replace; Lewis estimated that staffing four high‑crash intersections around the clock would require roughly eight officers and cost more than $1 million annually, an outcome the photo system would avoid by using vendors that own and maintain equipment. Councilor Shannon asked who would own and retain video; Lewis replied that, based on contracts he has reviewed, the city would retain ownership of the footage but retention periods and access protocols would be vendor‑specific and must be spelled out in any contract.

Councilors also asked about screening procedures for citations, and whether a second reviewer would check video before a notice is mailed. Lewis said those operational details—including who issues citations, how long vendor video is retained, and whether insurers could request footage—would be negotiated in the RFP and contract. He noted statutory constraints: citations must be issued within 10 business days and may be issued to the registered owner unless a certificate of innocence is filed, per Oregon statute cited during the presentation.

Public commenters were split. Several residents urged the city to act, citing repeated speeding and dangerous intersections; one speaker said the cameras are “a necessity.” Other members of the public raised privacy and data‑retention concerns.

Mayor Fitch and councilors did not adopt an ordinance Tuesday. Instead, council members agreed to let staff proceed with drafting an RFP and to return with a proposed contract and locations for council approval. If council later approves a vendor and contract, Lewis said cameras would be installed only after statutory notice and a 30‑day warning period; the department’s optimistic timeline would allow warning signs and activation before the end of the calendar year if the council approves the process.

The police said they would continue targeted, officer‑led enforcement alongside any automated enforcement and emphasized the program’s stated safety goal rather than revenue generation: “Our goal would be to generate $0 in revenue,” Lewis said, meaning ideal compliance would eliminate citations.

Questions that remain to be resolved in the RFP and contract include precise data‑retention timelines, who beyond trained traffic staff will be authorized to access footage, vendor liability and evidence‑handling procedures for third‑party requests such as insurers.