A bill has been introduced in the Colorado State Senate to ban photo traffic tickets in Colorado. The bill sponsored by Sen. Scott Renfroe, a Weld County Republican, would prevent municipalities from using automated vehicle identification systems to identify violators of traffic regulations and issue citations based on photographic evidence. Many municipalities in Colorado have installed photo radar and red light systems in their cities. Colorado Springs stopped its red light camera program at the end of last year. Sen. Renfroe’s bill, SB 12-050, has been assigned to the Senate Transportation Committee.

Update:  SB 12-050 was killed by the Senate Transportation Committee on February 21, 2012

On February 2, 2012, a division of the Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that a trial court was wrong to approve the use of medical marijuana by a defendant on probation. In the case of People v. Leonard Watkins, Mr. Watkins pled guilty to a felony in Arapahoe County and was placed on probation for 6 years. Among his conditions of probation, Mr. Watkins was not to violate any laws and not use or possess any narcotic, dangerous or abusable substance without a prescription. Soon after being placed on probation, Mr. Watkins received a certificate from the State of Colorado for the medical use of marijuana. The Probation Department asked for direction from the court and the court entered an order approving Mr. Watkins’ use of medical marijuana. The District Attorney appealed the court’s order approving medical marijuana.

The Court of Appeals noted that the use of marijuana even for medical purposes is a violation under federal law and thus would violate Mr. Watkins’ condition of probation that he not commit any new offenses while on probation. Colorado’s medical marijuana amendment did not offer any protection for Mr. Watkins because it is not a prescription from a doctor but a certification that the patient has a debilitating medical condition and might benefit from the medical use of marijuana. Based on this, the Court of Appeals held that the physician’s certification was not a written lawful prescription that was required under the terms of Mr. Watkins’ probation. Finally, since probation is considered a privilege and reasonable conditions of probation can be imposed that curtail a probationer’s rights, any constitutional right to use medical marijuana in Colorado may be curtailed during the term of Mr. Watkins’ probationary sentence.

According to recently released statistics, Colorado Springs saw a 33 percent increase in homicides in 2011. The 32 homicides committed in 2011 is the largest number committed in Colorado Springs in one year. Although Colorado Springs saw such a large percentage increase in homicides, the 2011 murder rate is close to or lower than comparably sized cities in Colorado and the United States.

At the end of 2011, the Colorado Springs Police Department had 622 officers.
With a population of approximately 415,000 people, Colorado Springs has 669 residents for every police officer. By comparison, other large cities in Colorado have a lower ratio — Aurora has 509 residents per officer and Denver has 422 residents per officer.