Phoenix targets frequent speeders

PHOENIX, Sept. 8 (UPI) -- Police in Phoenix say they are going after frequent speeders amid an increase in unpaid photo-enforcement tickets.

The Department of Public Safety said 37 percent of drivers who incurred fines from photo-enforcement speed cameras paid the tickets when the system was new in October, but that number dropped to 24 percent in June, The Arizona Republic reported Tuesday.

Officials said they are now going after drivers dubbed "frequent fliers," those with 15 or more unpaid violations. Lt. Jeff King said the number of drivers in the category can fluctuate from 100 to 600 drivers.

Officer Jeff Hawkins, who is currently investigating 50 frequent flier cases, said some drivers cover their faces or wear masks while driving through the photo-enforcement areas and others use post office boxes and fake addresses to circumvent the system.

"They generally do it under the pretext that they're not going to be caught," he said of the frequent fliers. "These are what you probably consider as people who don't really respect the law at all."