(The Advertiser)- Almost exactly a year ago, traffic cameras in Lafayette were unplugged when the city’s contract with Redflex expired. In February, Mayor-President Joel Robideaux announced the red-light cameras and traffic vans would not be returning.

The constitutionality of red-light cameras has been challenged in a number of states in recent years. Now, a Louisiana parish has taken camera traffic enforcement to a new level.

Bossier Parish has issued 8,000 tickets for uninsured cars and trucks after installing license plate readers last year.

Bossier Parish Sheriff Julian Whittington says the $200 citations were mailed to vehicle owners who drove by the cameras and were found to be uninsured.

The Shreveport Times reports 12 license plate readers have been installed at intersections throughout the parish. The sheriff’s office said in 2017 that it planned up to 44 cameras. Whittington says installation has been slower than expected.

The cameras also help law enforcement with handling crimes such as Amber Alerts.

The American Civil Liberties Union criticized the technology in a 2013 report titled “You are being tracked” and said the cameras increased opportunity for abuse. The sheriff says the agency stores camera data for 90 days.