In early October Suffolk Chief of Police Thomas Bennett brought forward the idea of installing a red light camera program within the city.

Just a few months into that process, city officials are now at the point of determining if Suffolk even has the traffic volume to make such as program feasible.

“We want to first make sure we have the traffic volume to support such a project,” Bennett said. “We have met with the top vendor — the same vendor working with Virginia Beach with their project. Needless to say we are still in the research phase.”

Bennett said the program would work only if it accomplishes a number of key goals.

“It’s important that we make certain intersections within the city safer; that we reduce the number of drivers who run red lights and ensure that we can do this so it is fee-neutral to the city,” Bennett said.

But to ensure the program does not add expense to the city’s budget, Bennett said, the city first must be sure there are enough violators to ticket to pay for the system.

In October, officials said the cameras could be mounted at targeted intersections and wired to the stoplights. The cameras would snap photos of license plates on cars that enter the intersection after the light turns red. Those owners would receive a ticket later in the mail.

As for a time frame of the research phase, Bennett wouldn’t say, but he does have one goal in mind.

“I would hope that by this time next year we have a program up and running,” Bennett said. “I would sure hope so.”