PHOENIX (AZFamily) — The City of Phoenix has selected Verra Mobility as its vendor for its photo enforcement program and agreed to pay them up to $12 million to restart and operate it through March.
When questioned by councilmembers, employees confirmed the city wouldn’t own the infrastructure but would pay for the company to start and run it.
“They’re not something I support, they don’t help,” James Anderson, a Phoenix driver, said.
“I don’t mind them,” Tom Hanks, another Phoenix driver, explained.
“Waste of taxpayer money,” Theresa Morales, a third Phoenix driver, said.
While drivers might have mixed feelings about red light and speed enforcement cameras, City Council members are mostly in agreement.
“We will almost immediately see a change in driving behavior,” Councilman Kevin Robinson said.
“Cameras will be used in locations where the data shows the most crashes,” Vice Mayor Ann O’Brien told the council.
Arizona’s Family Investigates looked at the data, finding the city has the highest rate of deadly crashes and pedestrian deaths among the biggest cities in the country.
The team also examined neighboring cities that already use the cameras, and they report that the cameras are effective.
“We’ve seen just our numbers and how crashes have decreased over time. People do slow down when they come through here,” said Rebecca Tomaszewski, the photo enforcement lead for Paradise Valley, back in October 2024.
As part of the team’s series on dangerous driving, our Amy Cutler sat down with the Phoenix’s Street Transportation Department, which argued the trends in Phoenix were alarming and perceptions of the cameras had changed.
O’Brien shared that the Phoenix Police Department only has 28 traffic officers, down two in less than a year. Any money the program makes will be used to make neighborhood streets safer, she said.
“I look forward to using this data to improve safety for everyone,” O’Brien said.
Councilwoman Anna Hernandez was the lone no vote.
“I also don’t believe in criminalizing and ticketing our residents. It has never proven to make us safer,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez also shared concerns about the state legislature, which could take action to ban photo enforcement or put the issue on the ballot for voters to decide.
Legislators ended the session without acting on that.
Phoenix city officials said they hope to have the program up and running by early 2026.
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