Manteca to have 20 red light cameras installed across city

MANTECA — In a push to crack down on red-light violators, the City of Manteca is partnering with a company to install red-light cameras — and police say it'll cost taxpayers nothing.

The cameras will be installed by the end of November. The Manteca Police Department said they are needed to bring more safety to major intersections like Main Street and Louise Avenue.

However, some residents have different views on whether these cameras should be installed at all.

"I don't like it," Evangelina Sanchez said.

She's lived in Manteca for over 10 years.

"What [drivers will] do is try to beat it and they'll try and hit that yellow light," she said. "It's going to make it worse."

Manteca Police Chief Stephen Schluer said a lot of intersection collisions are a result of red-light violations.

"They're not just fender-benders. Usually, somebody is getting hurt," he said.

How much is it costing the city?

The police department says nothing, adding that the company Verra Mobility is covering installation, maintenance, and equipment.

Verra Mobility will make its money back from tickets paid for by violators, taking a majority of the penalty to keep it cost-neutral.

"At the end of the year, if they haven't met [the cost amount], it'll just wipe out like it never existed," Schluer said.

This comes on the heels of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office disbanding its red-light cameras because it was too expensive to run.

We reached out to a Sacramento city spokesperson who said there are no plans to reinstall those red-light cameras.