Article from: www.thenewspaper.com/news/06/668.asp
9/24/2005
Georgia: Red Light Cameras Fund Deluxe Police Station
Police in Chatham County, Georgia are using red light camera fines to buy themselves a hurricane-proof police precinct.
Red light camera fines in Chatham County, Georgia will fund two brand new police stations for Savannah-Chatham police. One proposal would create a new building impervious to 155 MPH winds and 20-foot storm surges. The added protection would double the cost of the precinct to $3 million, but county commissioners are counting on a soon-to-be-installed fifth red light camera to generate an extra $500,000 in revenue.
"We've identified a revenue source so that the project can be funded," Assistant County Manager Patrick Monahan explained to the Savannah Morning News. Another $1.5 million is available from local sales tax funds.
The proposed station could withstand a category five hurricane. At least one analyst believes the risk of the area being hit by a less-severe category four hurricane at 0.5 percent, based on historical data. The Savannah police force has patrolled the southeast coast of Georgia since 1790.
Article Excerpt:"If the price tag is reasonable, this could be one small spoke in the big wheel of dealing with a catastrophe," [District 4 County Commissioner Patrick] Farrell said.
Source: Pricetag could double for proposed precincts - 09/23/2005 (Savannah Morning News (Georgia), 9/24/2005)
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