Local Autonomy

Sheriff Paul Babeu stopped photo radar in his county by refusing to sign off on tickets issued to people in Pinella County, Arizona. Arizona not only has red light cameras, but cameras that may detect people traveling over the speed limit.

Sheriff Paul Babeu provides a fine example here of a Constitutional sheriff. The sheriff has the last word, within the county, of whether to enforce a law. Sheriff Babeu refused to sign camera radar tickets and stopped the unConstitutional practice dead in its tracks (and he gained a lot of popularity with the people).

It is interesting to note that the camera fraud in Arizona is perpetrated by a classic PPP, between a private camera manufacturer in Australia (it is our understanding that 40% of the ticket proceeds go to RedFlex) and enforcement through the local government (sheriff's department). Further, Babeu is to be commended for his recognition that a private company should not be partnered with the government to make a profit and that the cameras were merely an income generating scam.