I used to live in a red light camera state.  The tickets are $400.  The majority of this goes to the company operating the camera system, just like this article states 70% of the fine goes to the company.  This profit margin resulted in many tickets being thrown out when it was discovered that the company set the cameras to go off early.  This third-party camera company receives their fee for every ticket, whether or not the local cop decides to prosecute it or prosecutes and loses.  The result of the $400 fine is that in these particular intersections that have lights, people slow down and are more wary of crossing, making it take much longer for people to get across the intersections.  It has no impact on any other intersection in town.  Anchorage won't become safer, just a couple intersections will.  We'll pay more for APD to review the pictures, the courts to process tickets, and camera fees than we'll receive in benefit.  That's why they've been pulled in other cities.