More problems with camera cop system

Minneapolis police admit another mistake has been made by the red light camera system.

A ticket was issued based on video from the photo cop camera system, but it was issued to the wrong person.

Despite this, police say this is an isolated incident. But you won't be able to convince Minneapolis resident Don Zimmerman of that. This is the second time in two months that he's had a red light ticket erroneously issued to him.

Police Lieutenant Greg Reinhardt looked at the video and said it was clear a mistake was made. "Due to human error we issued the ticket to the wrong person."

Zimmerman's car was stopped at the intersection, but he received the ticket rather than the car that ran the red light. Police say the vendor they hire in Arizona to review the videotapes and ultimately one of their own officers were both responsible for the wrong ticket.

Reinhardt said it's clear we need to do more training, adding "realize we process hundreds if not thousands of these within a week and sometimes due to the sheer volume I think we rush to judgment."

Actually some 21,000 red light running tickets have been issued in the first six months that the cameras were up and running. In the first year of operation police estimate they'll take in $1 million in fines.

As for cases like Zimmerman's Lt. Reinhardt calls it isolated.

But Don Zimmerman says he has no faith in the system. Earlier this fall he was ticketed for jumping a green light. But he denied it and a close look at the video never showed him in the intersection when the light was red. In that case the ticket was dropped.

Then there was the case of Golden Valley motorist Steve Spriggs who was wrongfully ticketed. Again, like in Zimmerman's latest ticket, the wrong vehicle was ticketed. Instead of capturing the license plate from the offending vehicle, Spriggs' vehicle which was stopped at the red light, had a picture taken of his plate and a ticket wrongfully went to Spriggs.

"There's a glitch in the system, the first thing they should do is admit there's a problem," said Zimmerman.

But Lieutenant Reinhardt maintains they've only had the cases KARE 11 has brought to their attention and no other tickets have been mistakenly issued. But Zimmerman believes a lot of motorists don't review the video or pictures and are probably paying tickets that weren't warranted.

"People should go on-line and check the video if you get a photo cop ticket because there are mistakes in the system," advises Zimmerman.

After KARE 11 brought this latest case to the attention of police, they dismissed Zimmerman's latest ticket.

While police and Zimmerman may be at odds over this latest technology, there's one thing they both agree on, red light runners are dangerous and a reduction in accidents is a worthy goal.

While Zimmerman believes city dwellers that drive city streets frequently are being unfairly targeted, police say a survey they did shows four in ten motorists ticketed live outside the city.

By Bernie Grace , KARE 11 News

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