Mayoral hopefuls nix
city pix tickets

---

By Rosemarie Bernardo
rbernardo@starbulletin.com

At least two Honolulu mayoral candidates would not allow the state to use the new traffic enforcement cameras on city roads and two others say more information is needed before extending the state program to the county level.

"The registered owner of a motor vehicle is liable regardless of who drove the vehicle. That is wrong," said candidate and former city prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro, who said he would not support using the cameras on city streets.

"Let's have police officers who are trained to protect the safety of individuals instead of private vendors who are there to make a profit," Kaneshiro said.

Candidate Frank Fasi agreed.

"I would not want them (traffic cameras) on city streets ... If you need more police to have safer highways, then we should hire more police," Fasi said.

Mayor Jeremy Harris' administration and the Honolulu Police Department are working with the state to add city roads to the list of places where speed limits are enforced by cameras. The city is also helping the state hook up red light enforcement cameras traffic cameras on city signals, according to Marilyn Kali, spokes-woman for the state Depart- ment of Transportation.

Kali said she received a list of designated locations from the city and the state hopes to use the speed enforcement cameras on city roads in April.

Mayoral candidate Mufi Hannemann said he was not in favor of using the traffic cameras on city roads at this time.

"The burden of proof is on the state," Hannemann said.

"This is a new initiative we're embarking on. The city would benefit from holding back at the present time and give the state a longer period to gather information to get a much more actual assessment," he added.

Mayoral candidate Mazie Hirono also said she believed the public's questions on the program need to be resolved before reaching a decision.

Councilmember Duke Bainum, another major candidate for mayor, could not be reached for comment about whether he would also prohibit the cameras on city streets.

Kali said Kaneshiro and Fasi are "misinformed" about the photo enforcement program. "There is no money to give to the police department (to hire more police)," she said.

Kaneshiro said the $9 million the state is asking for to pay for the program should be invested in more police officers.

But Kali says the $9 million is not state tax money but is generated by fines paid by those caught by the cameras speeding and running red lights.