October 24, 2007

Chicago to Add Surveillance Cameras to Street Sweeper

CHICAGO – Drivers who park in the path of Chicago’s 118 street sweepers may soon find themselves in the same boat as those who run red lights: caught in the act by surveillance cameras, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Three years after Mayor Daley first raised the idea, City Hall has issued a “request for qualifications” from companies interested in providing “high-resolution digital cameras” for street sweepers.

Last year, the city issued 345,206 tickets — carrying $50 fines — to drivers who ignore “No Parking” signs posted on days when street sweeping is scheduled.

A posting on the City’s Web site states that every street sweeper would be equipped with a pair of cameras — one to capture the image of “the illegally parked vehicle and its surroundings,” the other to take a picture of the license plate.

Video evidence would be forwarded to the city’s Department of Revenue daily, and then mailed to motorists along with the $50 ticket. Contractors would be paid an unidentified fee “for each enforceable citation.”