"Red Light Camera" Exec Suspended for Trolling Internet Sites
by Tiffany Kaiser May 24, 2011
dailytech.com
Bill Kroske, the vice president of business development at American Traffic Solutions, posed as a Spokane local on The Spokesman-Review website in an attempt to promote his company's products
A business executive at American Traffic Solutions has been suspended after posing as a local resident of Spokane on the company's website and newspaper websites, where he posted comments supporting the red-light camera's that were placed in the Washington city.
American Traffic Solutions, which is based in Scottsdale, Arizona, specializes in photo enforcement and red-light camera contracting. The company has red-light cameras placed throughout the United States, with one of the cities being Spokane, Washington.
Bill Kroske, the vice president of business development at American Traffic Solutions, posed as a Spokane local on The Spokesman-Review website. He posted comments encouraging the use of the red-light cameras in Spokane provided by American Traffic Solutions.
From January through July of 2010, Kroske posted nine comments under the username "Obie1" on the website. He would talk as if he was not himself, but rather, a Spokane local that was happy with the red-light camera issues. It was an attempt to promote business in that area for American Traffic Solutions.
He would call red-light camera critics the "camera paranoia group" and denounce those that didn't agree with their purpose.
"It is that same lack of common sense and emotional control that is found in aggressive and dangerous driving," said Kroske in the forums when other users disagreed with the use of red-light cameras.
Kroske also encouraged "safe drivers" to unite when a bill in the legislature intended to cap red-light tickets, and even defended red-light cameras when a user showed statistics that crashes increased at intersections with red-light cameras in winter.
Kroske's last post was in July 2010 when another user blogged about Tim Eyman, who sponsored a ballot measure to reduce the use of red-light cameras in Mukilteo.
"I hope the safe drivers in Mukilteo will unite and support their police department," said Kroske. "However, I would recommend we have an initiative here too: one banning Eyman from ever moving to Spokane!"
But The Spokesman-Review isn't the only website that Kroske was commenting on. A reporter for The Herald, of Everett, Washington, was covering the "Photo Red" program. Kroske would comment on the articles under the username "W Howard." According to The Herald's editor, Neal Pattison, the username was linked to Kroske's company e-mail, tracing the comments back to Kroske. Kroske never mentioned who he really was.
According to American Traffic Solutions' Spokesman Charles Territo, Kroske was very passionate about the company, but just went about it the wrong way by posing as someone else for company promotion.
Kroske is now suspended for an uncertain amount of time. |
