The Louisiana State Board of Private Investigator Examiners will hold a hearing Thursday morning regarding speed vans and a planned program to place cameras at certain Lafayette intersections.

Through a contract with Lafayette Consolidated Government, Redflex Traffic Systems, based in Arizona, operates both the vans in the SafeSpeed Lafayette program and is scheduled to operate cameras to catch red-light runners.

The hearing stems from a complaint filed by private investigator Stephanie Ware, who has asked the board to examine what she considers to be investigative activities.
“They are practicing surveillance activities without being a privately licensed investigative agency who can employ investigators,” she said.

Ware said she also disagrees with the fact that citations are mailed to those caught speeding by equipment in the vans.

“They should not be allowed to issue citations because the only people who can do that are police officers,” she said.

Ware said that the day after she filed her complaint, she received a ticket in the mail with a photo of her 17-year-old daughter. The ticket stated the driver had been caught speeding, but Ware would have to pay the fine because she is the registered owner of the vehicle.

According to Ware, the ticket also stated that if she refused to pay the fine, she must post a bond to appeal or contest the citation.

“I don’t know who’s taking these pictures, and they’re sending them over state lines to Arizona and being edited by someone we don’t know,” she said.

City-Parish Attorney Pat Ottinger said his office does not believe the vans’ use constitutes private investigative activities.

“It is our view that the work performed by the Redflex van is not within the scope of the work of a private investigator,” he said.

Redflex representatives could not be reached for comment.

“It is more like renting a piece of automated equipment because the Redflex operator has no role whatsoever in the capture of an image.”

Redflex representatives could not be reached for comment.