In preparing a new report on the effectiveness of red-light cameras, the Kansas City Police Department barreled through a great big caution signal and crashed head-on with a public relations disaster.</p><p>The sloppy study that came out this week has embarrassed the agency, and deservedly so.</p><p>Now the department needs to regroup and help prepare what the public deserves and the police board expects to see next month: a professionally done report with a comprehensive look at a complicated issue and conclusions supported by accurate data.</p><p>In preparing its report, the police should have been more cautious and collaborated with city engineers and the private company that runs the camera program. That would have improved the accuracy of the report&#x92;s data. The police also could have tested their theories about what the study&#x92;s figures actually meant regarding motorists&#x92; safety.</p><p>Instead, the police released a draft version of the report that media outlets used Tuesday to trumpet the conclusion that the cameras haven&#x92;t made the streets any safer. That&#x92;s because injury accidents at red-light camera intersections appear to have increased from two years ago.</p><p>Then came the police board meeting later Tuesday, at which problems with the study were acknowledged.</p><p>American Traffic Solutions, the operator, found factual errors. Police board president Pat McInerney, Mayor Sly James and others properly noted that important factors about the operation of red-light cameras were not in the study. Police Chief Darryl Fort&#xE9; joined in, asking his own questions.</p><p>The board members and chief want to make sure a revised report on accidents takes crucial information into account, such as the effect of weather and impaired drivers.</p><p>Other concerns worth investigation:</p><p>&bull;&#xA0;Did any changes in the amount of traffic on Highway 71 lead to the large increase in reported accidents that occurred at three intersections on the roadway? </p><p>&bull;&#xA0;Did the reported increase in rear-end accidents occur because of the cameras, and does any increase undermine the use of the cameras?</p><p>&bull;&#xA0;Should the city continue to hand out tickets to drivers who turn right on red without stopping? About half the red-light violations occur because of that violation, although it&#x92;s unclear whether it leads to more accidents.</p><p>&bull;&#xA0;Do the cameras save money for the Police Department, which does not have to monitor red-light intersections?</p><p>&bull;&#xA0;Finally, if the cameras were shut off, how would that affect safety in the future?</p><p>It is encouraging to know that, based on tickets issued, the city knows red-light running has gone down at intersections with the cameras in the last two years. It also appears that the more life-threatening, right-angle accidents between cars inside intersections have fallen slightly.</p><p>Still, Kansas Citians need to know a lot more details about how red-light cameras are affecting traffic safety. This week&#x92;s report from the Police Department didn&#x92;t answer that essential question.