City darkened red-light cams weeks ago

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - If you sped through an Albuquerque intersection with a red light camera in the last few weeks, you don't have to worry about getting a ticket in the mail.

The city told KRQE News 13 today red light camera operator Redflex officially pulled the plug on the program as of Dec. 12, weeks before a mid-January deadline set by Albuquerque City Council.

In November councilors voted to end the city's contract with Redflex and gave the administration 60 days to negotiate with the company to shut down the cameras.

"We follow our bosses' orders, and we were able to do it a little earlier than the Council was expecting us to do it," said Gilbert Montaño, deputy chief administrative officer with Albuquerque. "[The cameras] are there literally as steel poles right now."

Negotiations with Redflex are still ongoing with the physical removal of the cameras themselves one of the big issues still remaining.

"We're going to continue working on behalf of the taxpayers to make sure when those cameras come out they don't leave us a mess on our streets," said Montaño.

The city has had red light cameras for seven years, but the shutoff effectively leaves Albuquerque with no photo traffic enforcement.