You may have seen them in Hillsborough County and around the state. However, red light cameras could now be installed throughout the City of Tampa.

After studying other cities of similar size, the Tampa Police Department says more eyes at dangerous intersections will save lives.

In fact, Assistant Chief John Bennett, told city council members that Hillsborough County and Temple Terrace have seen a decrease in the number of red light accidents.

Police say the most dangerous intersection for red light crashes is 40th and Hillsborough Avenue.

During the discussion Thursday, Charlie Miranda raised concerns about where the money from tickets would go.

Miranda worries that if money went into the general fund, it would get lost in other departments and not help improve roads.

The council voted 3-3 on whether or not to sign a contract with a camera company.

The split vote means the issue will be talked about again during the next meeting in April.

Did you come here because you’ve been charged with Florida DUI and are seeking a qualified DUI lawyer? If so, the Tampa DUI attorneys at Musca Law are prepared to offer you a free legal consultation to discuss all the aspects of the case against you. However, we ask that you contact us in a timely manor, so we have ample time to prepare your case. Call 813-362-5623 now.

Source

TAMPA — Deputies were searching for a man who tried to kidnap the wife of a law enforcement officer from a Bealls department store parking lot Wednesday evening.

In the lot at N Dale Mabry Highway and Mapledale Boulevard in north Hillsborough County, a man approached the 49-year-old woman from behind and pushed something into her, the Sheriff’s Office said.

He said, “Don’t scream and you won’t get hurt,” but the woman thought he might be someone she knew playing a prank on her, deputies said.

So she turned around. But when she didn’t recognize him, she began screaming — which caused the man to grab her arm, but eventually run away.

Deputies did not release the name of the victim. Investigators said the suspect is a white man in his 50s, 5 feet 9, 160 to 180 pounds, with sandy blond hair and a scruffy beard.

He was last seen near a Walgreens at Dale Mabry Highway and Northdale Boulevard.

Anyone with information about this crime can contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at (813) 247-8200 or Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) 873-8477.

Charged with a criminal offense in Tampa?

Source

TAMPA – Some researchers say distraction from cell phones in the car is the same as driving drunk. Now, the U.S. Department of Transportation is considering adding new technology to cars that would automatically disable cell phones once the driver hits a certain speed.

The big question is … will it work?

One man had such a close call with his cell phone on the road two years ago, he now refuses to use it while driving.

“I was driving, I got a phone call, I looked at the phone, it was my daughter,” said the man. “I picked up and I hit the side of a wall.”

The day the government pulls the plug on cell phones while driving may be closer than we think. With the number of deaths and injuries on the road due to distracted drivers on the rise, there is a push to do something about it.

Consumer advocate Bill Newton says not to count on cell phones being automatically shut off in vehicles to help in bringing those numbers down.

“I think there is some technology they could put in new cars, but not old cars and people would figure out how to get around it,” said Newton.
(more…)

It’s bad to drink and drive. It’s even worse to drink and drive and pull people over for drinking and driving — especially if you’re not a cop.

Police in Florida say they arrested a man on suspicion of driving drunk while impersonating a police officer on Oct. 14.

According to the Sun-Sentinel.com, police in Boca Raton believe the suspect was dressed like a cop with a police-style badge and a loaded Glock 9 mm handgun in a waist holster when he pulled over several motorists to ask if they had drugs or alcohol in their cars.

“The phony cop was driving a white Ford Crown Victoria with dark tinted windows, similar to what police officers drive nationwide,” police spokesman Mark Economou told the press.

But unlike real police officers, the flashing lights on the suspect’s vehicle were green — not red and blue, according to CBS4.

A motorist notified authorities, and when police arrived on the scene they reportedly found the suspect in his car, with his green lights flashing.

The 60-year-old suspect allegedly told cops he was a private investigator with a police-trained dog in the back of his vehicle, and that he had been in a traffic accident after another motorist cut him off.

But police say they noticed a strong scent of alcohol coming off of the suspect, and placed him under arrest on charges of impersonating law enforcement and driving under the influence.

Have you been charged with DUI in Tampa, FL? If so, we welcome you to contact our team of experienced Tampa DUI attorneys for a free and confidential consultation.

Source

The driver hears a loud beeping, and picks up a rectangular device wired to the car with a mouthpiece attached to it.

“There’s the sign, here goes.” It’s called an air ignition, and it’s the main feature of a new law that gives repeat drunk drivers another chance at driving, if they install breath-test ignition locks for five years.

It’s the only way, says Mothers Against Drunk Driving, to stop an epidemic of drunks driving without a license anyway, and that’s why Governor Charlie Crist signed it, he says. It happened in Orlando, where, in the same bill, was a new license tag for Hispanic achievement, and a new law directing bicyclists to use bike lanes “whenever practical.”

A Hillsborough Deputy’s dash cam video shows a full-size pickup weaving in Brandon.
(more…)