Is this a red light camera?

9 comments

1. It *could* be, but it looks more like a standard security camera. Red light cameras tend to have a boxy appearance to them, they can be smaller but they have a flash so they can capture photographs at night. This camera may have better night vision capabilities and might not need flash, but it also looks like it’s intended for tracking traffic conditions (and accidents) and/or maybe crime.

   > If it is just a regular camera, can police check the footage of a certain camera if I ask them to check for a small crime being committed?

   More likely, you’d report the crime and the location that it happened at and maybe mention you saw a camera there. They might be able to check.

   Also maybe just a typo, but *intersection*. “Interception” is when one person or thing knocks another person or thing off course (like when a football player intercepts another player, stopping them from actually taking the ball down the field, or when one airplane intercepts another one that is flying somewhere it shouldn’t).

2. This is a CCTV camera, more to observe traffic conditions and how the intersection is functioning. Typically these videos are not stored or used for enforcement.

   Red light cameras will be set closer to the ground, usually on a separate pole so they can get a photo of the vehicle’s plate and the driver. Most also have signs associated stating something about photo enforcement as well.

   [Here ](https://radenso.com/blogs/radar-university/what-s-the-difference-between-traffic-cameras-red-light-cameras-and-speed-cameras) is a decent expansion of several different cameras in use.

3. Most cameras like that are to deal with turning the traffic lights based on the number of cars detected.

4. If you witnessed a crime that was committed near a camera like that I would report it very quickly because they cannot keep the footage forever. Especially if it was a crime against you

5. Looks like a regular security cam. What was the crime?

6. Dunno. They’re not legal in my state.

7. Just for them to watch the traffic patterns and how busy the intersection is.

   That camera can’t “capture” the license plate, and is definitely not an opticom.

8. No, just surveillance. My city won a vote this year to install $2mil+ worth of cameras and opened a special operations center just to monitor them for criminal activity. They’re everywhere. Some are even portable on wheels. A couple are in front of my neighborhood pointed at a house of concern lol. You can’t request the footage. But if a felony is committed they’ll have that data

9. No, that’s just a security camera. Red light cameras are typically mounted on poles on the side of the road, and are a box that contains a powerful flash for night time ticketing