[RP TownTalk] More Bad News For Riverdale Park Residents

[James D. Holmes]

GAZETTE.NET

Maryland Community News

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Published: Friday, August 10, 2012

*Fraud allegations mean Riverdale Park may have to reimburse $5 million 
in speed camera revenue *

Holly Nunn Staff writer

If allegations of fraud in the town's speed camera program turn out to 
be true, Riverdale Park could have to reimburse about $5 million to 
drivers issued speeding tickets through the program, a large sum for a 
town with an annual budget of just more than $6 million.

A Riverdale Park police officer claims officials allowed his signature 
to be forged on an unknown number of speed camera citations dating back 
to 2010.

Cpl. Clay Alford, a four-year veteran of the force, was suspended 
Wednesday, said his lawyer, Timothy Leahy, after claiming that civilians 
were authorizing speed camera citations using his log-in information and 
signature, and that his supervisors on the force were aware of the 
practice. Leahy said he believes the suspension was retaliatory.

FOX 5 first reported the story Monday after Leahy filed a class action 
lawsuit Aug. 6 on behalf of two drivers who received speed camera tickets.

Mayor Vernon Archer and town attorney Fred Sussman declined to comment 
on the lawsuit, adding that the town has a policy not to speak about 
personnel or legal matters. Police Chief David Morris could not be 
reached for comment.

The 2006 Maryland statute that authorized speed cameras was amended in 
2009 to require speed camera citations to include a signed statement by 
a police officer.

The lawsuit, filed in Prince George's County Circuit Court, includes 
emails dated in May 2010 and January 2011 between Alford and civilian 
enforcement officers in which they discuss "clearing out" citation 
approvals between themselves and their supervisors. When a large volume 
of citations needed to be approved, Alford and non-police officers split 
up the citations and processed them, the emails indicate.

The lawsuit calls for the town to refund the $40 fines to anyone who 
paid a ticket that had not been approved by an officer.

Brentwood, which has a contract with the same camera operators --- Sigma 
Space Corporation and Optotraffic --- refunded more than 3,500 tickets 
in 2010 when the person issuing the tickets was not officially a police 
officer.

"Riverdale Park has a bigger problem because they've been doing this 
knowingly for several years," Leahy said.

Leahy said he believes the town could be saving money by allowing 
civilian processors to approve citations, because they make less money 
than a police officer.

Since the speed cameras were installed in January 2010, the town has 
made more than $2.4 million from the program, according to town budget 
documents. Town officials did not immediately return calls for the exact 
number of speed cameras.

Leahy said he estimates the fines issued total about $5 million, based 
on tax documents submitted to the state by the town. It could take up to 
a year to get a hearing, Leahy said.

*"[Riverdale Park's] problem is not the civil lawsuit," said Leahy. 
"They have people within the town's power structure that make really bad 
decisions."*

hnunn at gazette.net


http://www.gazette.net/article/20120810/NEWS/708109535/1124/fraud-allegations-mean-riverdale-park-may-have-to-reimburse-5&template=gazette


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