Warning given: Albany police will begin issuing tickets through speed camera system in the fall
Jul. 3—ALBANY — Mustang Sally better slow her Mustang down, at least in Albany school zones, as the clock is ticking on when a speed detection and license plate scanning system starts issuing tickets for infractions.
The Albany Police Department recently completed the initial phase of rolling the system out.
During the 30-day period, the system, which also scans license plates, picked up 10,249 potential speeding violations at the four campuses where it has been installed. Of those, 10,074 police-approved warnings were sent to the owners of cars caught on camera.
The idea, however, isn't punishment and collecting fines; police just want drivers to slow down.
"The overall goal is to reduce those speeds in those school zones, and that's going to make it safer for everybody," APD's Lt. William Dowdell said. "With speeds reduced, it gives you more time to react if there is an incident."
License plate recognition cameras have been set up on Whispering Pines Road, near Sherwood Elementary School, going east and west; on North Westover Boulevard, near Westover High School, going north and south; on Blaylock Street, near Robert Harvey Elementary, going north and south; and on West Oakridge Drive, near Alice Coachman Elementary, going east and west.
When school starts in the fall, the system will go "hot," and the police department will begin issuing tickets.
A first infraction will cost the owner of a car that is cited $75, with second and subsequent citations taking a $125 bite out of the owner's wallet. Violations carry no repercussions for the driver in terms of license points and are not recorded in their driving history.
RedSpeed USA, the company that is contracted to operate the cameras, chose the four locations after conducting a study, Dowdell said.
Traditionally, patrol officers worked school campuses during the hour before the beginning of school and an hour after the school day ended. The camera system will be on patrol during the entire school day, although the 25 miles per hour school zone speeds will only be in effect for the hour before and after school.
In addition to monitoring for speeding violations, the cameras also can assist officers in other ways. If a sex offender is lurking around a campus, it can alert officers. The same is true of cars with tags linked to felony crimes.
"When you are talking about looking for stolen vehicles, that (system) is effective," Dowdell said. "That gives us eight extra sets of eyes out there looking for these individuals."
And those eyes are on 24 hours a day, seven days a week, he said.
When a camera records a potential speeding violation, the information is sent to the police department. An officer must review and approve the violation before a ticket is issued.
RedSpeed receives 35 percent of fines paid, with the police department receiving 65 percent.
Under state law, the portion that goes to police must be used for law enforcement purposes and cannot be moved to city coffers. Potential uses for fine proceeds include purchasing and replacing technology such as cameras mounted on patrol cars and officer's body cameras, Dowdell said.
The police department plans to continue education efforts over the summer to let drivers know the cameras are in place and that tickets will be issued with the resumption of school.
