Chattanooga police will soon be using high-tech Photo Enforcement Equipment to catch lead-footed drivers in the city.
Police say the old mobile speed camera system was outdated and hard to operate.
The mobile speed control cameras were in operation for about 5 years, and you may have seen more of the strange-looking little photo vans that you wanted to.
Their job was to find speeders, take a photo, process it, and send you a ticket in the mail.
The new system from a California company called Sensys, uses later technology but essentially does the same thing.
CHIEF BOBBY DODD, CHATTANOOGA POLICE DEPARTMENT "The entire idea behind this, our wish is that we can modify driving behaviors and for the safety of the entire city."
Police and company officials showed-off the equipment and the unmarked SUVs that will carry it.
The cars are city-owned but the Sensys company leases the four cameras at 14-hundred dollars each.
SGT. GARY MARTIN, PHOTO ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM "The unit itself is more versatile because you can not only mount it inside the vehicle, but as you see behind me, you can also mount it on the tri-pod."
JIM HENDRICK, SENSYS, S.E. TECHNICAL MGR. "We use newer technology, newer radar, single camera..its a lot easier to operate..you can shoot cars closer, and further."
As with the current system, the City Traffic department will collect part of the speeding fines.
JOHN VAN WINKLE, CITY TRAFFIC ENGINEER "The beauty of the whole program is the people that are paying the fines, are paying for the program, as well as funding a safety program that wasn't available before, because of a lack of funding..and that's of course, the driver education program."
Unlike the highly effective speed control cameras at the Hixson S curves, these will be mobil.
Sgt. Martin says you can expect them to be where motorists are consistently cruising over the speed limit.
Chief Dodd says the older Photo Enforcement program had lost its effectiveness.
He said the number of citations from the mobile units had dropped from 23-thousand in 2010, to 8200 in 2011.
