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Wilmington Red Light Cameras Rake In the Revenue

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WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - Wilmington officials say the number of citations issued by the city's red light camera program jumped 83 percent between fiscal 2011 and fiscal 2012.

City officials tell The News Journal of Wilmington that enhanced enforcement of illegal right turns on red is partially responsible for the spike.

The city has switched the red light cameras at 34 intersections from still photos to video. John Rago, deputy chief of staff to Mayor James Baker, says that's allowed police to more accurately detect drivers who don't come to a full stop before turning right.

He adds that if there's any doubt about whether a violation occurred, police won't issue a citation.

Officials say the cameras have cut the number of crashes by an average of 41 percent at their newest placements.  

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.