First Mo. effort to use speed camera on hold

CHARLACK, Mo. -- The first Missouri municipality to install a camera to catch speeders has put its plan on hold.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported this weekend that police chief Tony Umbertino wants to wait to see how pending state legislation fares.

State Rep. Mike Corcoran, D-St. Ann, has introduced a bill that would limit speed cameras to school, work and construction zones. Corcoran says it has attracted bipartisan support.

Initially, a camera was supposed to begin catching speeders this week along the St. Louis suburb's quarter-mile stretch of northbound Interstate 170. Violators were to get warnings in the mail for the first two weeks and tickets after that.

But Umbertino says he doesn't want to start the program if his department might have to stop it.