Originally Posted by
no motor?
The ones around here are supposed to record all the time, the red light violations use a higher resolution image to record the license plate images. One of the selling features of the cameras (besides the revenue the generate) was they were supposed to be able to record collisions that occurred in these intersections due to their constant recording
Then your city and ours (I live in and work for the same city where the OP lives) are using different systems.
One of the debates in city council was specifically around the issue of constant surveillance recordings being available to a private corporation working under a city contract. It's a privacy matter. Council listened to those citizens who expressed that they didn't want to live in a surveillance state, particularly not one run by private companies. The contract was awarded to a firm whose cameras do not record continuously.
That said, R-Town does use surveillance cameras wired directly to the police department. They're known as blue light cameras, for the police logo and blue light on them. I don't know if there's one near where the OP had his incident. These are used primarily to monitor for open-air drug sales and are placed accordingly. As there is no cover to protect corner boys, runners, or the actual dealers at that intersection, nor is there any place for customers to pull over, there's little chance of drug activity, so there's not likely to be a blue light camera there.