St. Martin Parish Sheriff speaks on bill preventing cameras on Atchafalaya Basin
ST. MARTIN PARISH, La. (KLFY) – Sheriff Becket Breaux goes on record about the bill to prevent speed cameras on the Basin Bridge.
On May 21st, Governor Jeff Landry signed Senate Bill 379 which repealed a 2022 law signed by former Governor John Bel Edwards to establish speed cameras the basin bridge. St. Martin Parish Sheriff Breaux recently testified to pass the bill at the Senate Transportation, Highway, and Public Works Committee.
Sheriff Breaux says the biggest issue for the bill was because cameras are not able to stop speeders at the point of infraction. "It's because the violation is stop right then and there," said Breaux.
Breaux says the process moved too fast and did not consider the opinions of the necessary agencies involved when the original law was passed in 2022. "This is not just a DOTD or law enforcement issue," said Breaux. "It's an issue for everyone. Whenever you have an issue that involves everyone and affects everyone, everyone should be at the table."
The basin bridge is known for having issues with traffic and crashes. Sheriff Breaux says cameras won't prevent the incidences from happening as it will only send a ticket weeks later to the owner of the car. Sheriff Breaux says they issued over 7,000 citations along the bridge in 2023, which he says was responsible for reducing crashes by 25 percent. He says law enforcement being present prevents things from happening before they occur.
"You got human trafficking you got drug trafficking. There is a whole list of things that goes on I-10. Those are incidents where it's very important that law enforcement stays on the bridge.