Photo radar challenged By Anna Marie D'Angelo News Reporter THE photo radar cam- era couldn’t care less that you have driven safely for 30 years without causing an accident and without getting a single speed- ing ticket. North Vancouver resident Jean Ann Healey found that out when a photo radar ticket arrived in her mail last vear. “Photo radar’s purpose is to prevent accidents,” said Healev on Monday dunay an appeal of her ticket in trafhe court in North Vanecuver. Healey said she had rever caused an accident in’ three decades of driving. She said the 15 km/h over the speed limit she was clocked at was not excessive and was not likely to be the cause of an accident. “I am just questioning, the camera ... I really am,” said Healey. Healey is the first North Shore resident to appeal a photo radar speeding ucket. But she decided to plead “guilty with an explanation” to the ticket in court. The camera caught Healey going 65 km/h in a 50 km/h - zone on Keith Road near the Grand Boulevard on Nov. 24, 1996. Police officers involved in the Integrated Traffic Camera Mussatto pursues B&E suspect in stocking feet From page t hall laptop computer and a VCR. P P “He saw me and ran out of the house with my laptop,” said Mussatto. But the diminutive coun- cillor, who is also a paramedic when he’s not politicking at hall, wasn’t about to back off easily. A short chase ensued before Mussatto caught up with the intruder at the edge of his property. - “1 tackled the bastard because he had my stuff,” he recalled. In desperation, Mussatto’s adversary stuck his hand inside his jacket and threat- ened Mussatto with an alleged knife inside his jacket. Mussatto wasn’t about to be foiled and called the man’s bluff. “You’ve got no knife,” Mussatto remembered saying to the white male in his mid- 20s. The frustrated robber may have lost the bet, but was not about to give up his escape plans. He produced a syringe which momentarily gave him some much-needed breathing room. He seized the opportunity and ran, if not for his lite, for his freedom. The chase was on. However, Mussatco didn't give up and ran after him — in his socks — at a safe dis- tance. “If he had ran up a gravel lane IT would have been dead,” speculated Mussatto on the shape of his feet after a shoeless jaunt across gravel. The man ran for several blocks, with Mussatto in hot pursuit and yclling for some- body to call the police. Mussatto ran past 4 post- man and recycling truc their respective routes, but doesn’t think cither one called for the requested rein- forcements. “The recycling guys prob- ably thought I wanted a new blue box,” said Mussatce. After a few blocks, the would-be robber started to tire, but did not stop. He kept walking, and Mussatto continued to keep his dis- tance from the suspect. Eventually the two walked past retired North Vancouver City = fire chief — Dick Hallaway’s house. Without taking his eyes off his subject, Mussatto asked the ex-chief, retired since 1985, to call the Police. Shortly thereafter, the police found the two walkers and arrested the suspected burglar withour further ing- dent. And was it exciting for the firefighter to see a real live chase, albeit one in slow motion? “Not really,” said Hallaway. “Not after being in the fire department for 35 ears.” North Vancouver RCMP Const. Mare Sylvestre, who later photographed the crime scene, said Mussatto did a good job, but would not rec- ommend others try a similar approach. “He chased him down so long the bad guy just couldn’t run anymore,” said Sylvestre. But he warned, “Your life isn’t worth your property.” Sylvestre added that the ideal course of action is to let the robber go, phone the police and let a tracking dog do its job. The suspect in Mussatto’s case is being held in RCMP lock-up pending a court appearance iater this week. Meanwhile Mussatto is looking, forward to a return to his chosen peaceful profes- sions after his short-lived experience as a crime buster. “Council’s nothing now,” he said. | JAMES POYNER Lawyer MAION PERSGNAL INJURY Free initial Consultation 988-6321 408-145 Chadwick Court Nt. Van. (Lonsdale Quay Plaza) Unit écamera, radar and com- puter) program did not attend the traffic court case. Instead, Crown dawver | Gern-Ln Nelson had “ceruficates™ tram the police conraining, informa tion that the officers would say if they Were in court. Nelson said certificates were used to save on court and police officers’ nme. Healey raised questions about the purpose of photo radar. Bur Justice of the Peace Gerry Haves sad that the pur- pose ef photo radar or its accomplishments were issues that were not permissible to be discussed at that me. He said the photo radar equipment was deemed to be accurate through legislapon unless someone provided evi- dence to the contrary. The justice of the peace gave Healey some credit for her good driving record and reduced the $160 speedin,; fine to $60. Next up on the photo radar appeal list was Mia Achiel Neill. The North Vancouver woman appealed her Sepe 25 photo radar ticket because her Bther was driving her vehicle at the ame. Her tather fives in Europe and was on vacation here when the picture was taken. “He has been driving tor more than 40 vears and never had a nous accident. 1 don’s believe he has even had a specd- ing ueket. TP find i hard to beheve he was speeding,” said Neill. Neil was the rewistered owner of the vehicle caught on film at} p.m She is responsible for the photo radar ucket: under the Motor Vehicle Act. The camera caught Neill*s father wooing 67 kr“h in the 50 km/h scetch of road. The justice of the peace fined Neill $100 after she pleaded “in a way guilty” to the driving infraction. Ina June 1996 News story, anti-photo — radar roup spokesman Tan Tootill sai most motorists felt “the other guy” was going to get a photo-radar ticket in the mail. But the SENSE (Safety by Education Not Speed Enforcement) spokesman said the onc-speeding-ticket-a-year dnver was the one who would be caught on film. The first. two photo-radar ticketed drivers to appeai_ the infracnan on the North Shore indicated they had no speeding, tickets at all. Meanwhile a photo-radar ticket appeal of a Oct. 29, 1996, incident on East Keith Road concerning a Polysoma Industries vehicle was ad- journed unnl next month. Polysoma’s Martin McDermaid was not ready to proceed with the photo radar ucket appeal. McDermaid was secking, a fist of informariaun including the manual for the integrated traffic camera unit. Crown lawyer Nelson said the manual was protected by copyright and ifa police officer wanted to break the law and photocopy the book for McDermaid, the estimated photocopying, fees were $450. 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