TOPSHAM (AP) – Police in Topsham have gone undercover in an effort to nab motorists who run red lights at the town’s busiest intersections.

And local officials are looking into legislation that could open the door for cameras to do the enforcement work in the future.

Under the current arrangement, a plainclothes officer assigned to an intersection radios the plate number and description of the offending vehicle to nearby patrol cars, which then stop the motorist and issue a summons.

Police Lt. Christopher Lewis says officers issue about 10 summonses a month at the intersection of routes 196 and 201, one of the most notorious for red light runners.

State law now bars bars the issuance of summonses for running red lights based on license plate photographs, but Topsham officials are exploring the possibility of getting the Legislature to approve a change.

In a pilot study earlier this month, digital cameras installed at five intersections in Lewiston-Auburn captured more than 2,800 motorists running red lights.

The five intersections were selected because of the high number of accidents that have taken place at each, said Lt. Jason Moen of the Auburn Police Department. A $128,000 grant obtained by the Androscoggin Transportation Resource Center financed the project, which is the only experiment of its kind in Maine.

The offenders received warnings, not $126 fines, because lawmakers have balked at changing state law to allow the issuance of summonses based on photographic evidence.

“The number of violations was astounding,” Moen said. “It has taken everyone by surprise.”

The Maine Department of Transportation plans to closely monitor the Auburn-Lewiston project, saying it will provide valuable data for state legislators to consider.

“The idea is to collect as much data as we can so that we can determine the extent of the problem,” said MDOT spokesman Greg Nadeau. “This pilot study will tell us if technology can make our roads safer.”

Attempts to change the law which prevents officers from issuing summonses based on photographs have failed in the past. Concerns voiced by legislators have ranged from privacy issues to being able to conclusively determine the identity of the offending driver.

Michael Steitzer of Topsham would welcome the use of cameras at intersections like the one that connects the Topsham Fair Mall with the Topsham Connector.

“That intersection is horrible for people blowing through red lights. I have almost been hit,” Steitzer said. “I know some people think cameras are an invasion of privacy but it’s really more of a safety issue. It may not be a popular solution but something has to be done.”