Hmm....I really don't know

Articles like this at one time got my support. Now I find them too idealistic for my taste. Yes, the cameras probably would not be put in if they provided the cities with no economic benefit. But that's how many things work. I've spoken with police officers (higher up ones) during good times who have told me that a large portion of the traffic tickets they give out are not for safety reasons, but for revenue.

I understand the anger towards politicians and other officials saying, "It's for the good of the common citizen" or "It's for safety" and having data show that it is obviously not. Unfortunately, that's how a lot of things work in many areas of society because certain things do not fall lightly on a common citizen's ear. People like to hear that the police department is there to promote safety for the common good. But there's a lot of crime, and in order to prosecute the cases that don't have immediate financial returns, sometimes using codes of law that do provide returns helps ease the stress.

Is it right or wrong? I don't know.

I'm guessing the job of getting the books correct doesn't play well with idealism, though.