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An Arizona Senate committee gave initial approval for banning the speed cameras, citing that electronic ticketing provision will violate the U.S. Constitution's protections against unreasonable searches.

Though the police departments of Mesa, Chandler and Phoenix have urged the committee, to block the so called bill against the usage of speed cameras for electronic ticketing, Senate committee preferred legislation that would ban the use of speed cameras statewide.

The proposal by Sen. Kelli Ward, R-Lake Havasu City, is one of three targeting photo enforcement proposed in the Legislature in what has become an annual effort to get rid of electronic ticketing. "There's actually studies out there that show that some of those cameras make things less safe, more accidents in those intersections where there are cameras," Ward said in an interview regarding her initiation.

Police departments said that, traffic cameras have dramatically improved safety at intersections and schools zones, for examples. Cities use both red-light and speed-enforcement cameras in Arizona. And Matt Giordano, a Phoenix police lieutenant who oversees the department's photo-enforcement operations, "I'm not here to tell you that photo enforcement did that 100 percent," told the committee. "I'm just saying this is one tool that we use and from my perspective and the city of Phoenix's perspective I ask that you continue to allow us to use it." Giordano added.

The bill to ban the Speed Cameras passed, by Senate public-safety committee on a 5-1 vote, getting support from four Republicans and one Democrat. While, Sen. Lupe Contreras, D-Avondale, opposed the proposal, saying he had lost a sister in a traffic accident and would not vote to remove a tool police use to make streets safer. "I understand the arguments, I see both sides, but at the end of the day I put the safety of the public first," Contreras added.

People are objecting, the usage of Speed Cameras as the electronic vigilance method, allegedly capturing their privacy and is being used by private firms rather than sworn peace enforcement officers.

-Kannamsai