LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — The Sheriff of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is working to renew his call for action on red light and speed cameras across the Las Vegas Valley in the form of a pilot program.
The effort and legislation failed to move past the first committee in the Legislature’s 2025 session.
In 2025 so far, 131 people have died on Valley roadways in Metro’s jurisdiction. The number reached 160 people in 2024.
“We’re talking about 160 people dying on our roadways in my jurisdiction alone. And it shouldn’t be happening. It’s just bad driving behaviors for the most part. It’s excessive speeds. It’s running red lights. It’s people that are drunk and drugged. And they’re going out and killing people in our community,” McMahill tells FOX5.
The Governor’s crime bill, public safety, and road safety are expected to be topics during a special session this fall. Though McMahill isn’t certain whether red light and speed cameras will be on the agenda, he’s working to get the word out to lawmakers as they look at the issues in the state that need to be addressed.
“I don’t think many of them are hearing from their constituents enough about how deadly our roads are,” he said.
McMahill explained how a pilot program could work.
“Let’s just pick the top 10 worst intersections. Let’s give the list of 20 to the lawmakers. Let them decide where they want these to go, and then we just measure the data,” the Sheriff said.
More than 20 states have implemented various forms of speed and red-light cameras, and practices vary widely across numerous jurisdictions. Common concerns have ranged from accused predatory citation practices, privacy and disproportionate impacts on minority and economically disadvantaged communities.
In 2019, the city of Phoenix removed cameras due to various concerns. After a recent surge in speeding, red-light running, fatalities, and pedestrian deaths, the city will reinstate cameras with various changes and “grace periods” for a rollout.
The 2025 Nevada legislation aimed to tackle concerns over the timing of yellow lights, plentiful signage for drivers, and public notices for installation. Though some endorsed it, many constituents gave lawmakers feedback on concerns over privacy and the financial impact of enforcement.
“I’m certainly not a ‘Big Brother-type’ person that loves to have governmental intrusion. Drive down the roadway right now, you’re already being observed by the RTC cameras,” McMahill said.
“There’s a lot of criticisms about who receives the revenue from citations that are issued. I don’t want a single one of those dollars. In fact, I hope they’re so successful that they never even have to write a citation, because then that means that people aren’t dying,” the Sheriff said.
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