In the first year since Merced installed two red-light cameras downtown, police have issued nearly 2,000 tickets.
That amount accounts for the intersection at R Street and West 16th Street, where both cameras were installed, and is known to see high-volumes of drivers.
After the city saw 13 fatal traffic collisions in 2024, the city council approved the installation of the cameras to curb collisions and high speeds. The cameras were installed in April 2025. There were seven traffic fatalities in Merced during 2025.
The visibility of police officers issuing citations reminds people to drive safer, Sgt. Jacob Fister previously said, who leads the traffic unit.
The number of citations for red-light violations fluctuated each month in the past year.
February 2026 saw the lowest number of traffic violations – across all categories. Police issued just eight citations from the red-light cameras, down from 143 the previous month.
That’s partly because in February, a vehicle collided into the camera. Because of the subsequent damage, the camera had to be replaced, Merced Police Chief Steven Stanfield said. The department was not able to issue citations during its repair, so the amount was much lower compared to other months.
Once the red-light cameras capture a suspected violation, a police officer on the traffic unit verifies it. The officer responsible for verifying the citations does not look at the potential violations from the camera daily, Stanfield said. The officer issues citations once the tickets have been reviewed.
Money from citations is used to pay for the cameras, which cost $126,000 annually to operate, or a monthly cost of $5,250 per camera, according to the contract. Citations are issued through the mail and paid directly to Merced County Superior Court. In California, fines can cost drivers hundreds of dollars depending on the state and local fees.
City officials say there’s no way to track the amount the tickets have earned. California drivers have historically paid up to $500 for the red-light camera citations. Under SB 720 violations are considered civil penalties.
The city passed its 2026-27 fiscal budget in June, with no mention of adding more cameras yet. Police department officials won’t revisit potential funding options and identify locations for new cameras until November, Stanfield said.
The red-light cameras are always able to track violations, which an officer working a set number of hours cannot do, Stanfield explained.
“I want our citizens to feel like they’re in an environment where they feel safe, they feel like there’s a police presence of some kind without having a uniform standing right next to them all the time,” Stanfield said.
