Palm Bay officials announced Wednesday that the city’s school zone speed camera program will shut down until at least the end of the school year. The city’s police department cited problems with the “accuracy of information” the cameras provided – some violations were inaccurate.
It was the second time this year that the city decided to suspend the program because of inaccurate violations and community complaints. There’s no set timeline for return, but the city police department said cameras would return once “necessary improvements have been made.”
The cameras, while inoperable for the time being, will still be visible throughout 16 different school zones in the city. When in use, they are meant to increase pedestrian safety by schools.
Camera enforcement ran during school hours – 30 minutes before and after school and 30 minutes prior to the start of school breakfast programs. They snapped a photo of anyone traveling more than 11 miles per hour than the posted speed limit during these time periods and mailed out $100 violations.
City officials will now reconvene with RedSpeed USA, the third-party operator that oversees the system. It is unclear what exact steps the police department will take to reach a system that adequately helps the city in its "commitment to the safety of Palm Bay’s children.”
RedSpeed USA has operated speed detection systems for more than 100 municipal clients throughout five states since 2006. It did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.
Mayor Rob Medina said he supports the safety concept and goals of the program, but he needs it to live up to city standards.
“We have recently experienced several issues which have caused concern and do not meet the standards we expect for any program implemented in our community,” he said in Wednesday’s emailed statement.
Cameras like the ones in Palm Bay are used throughout the state in places like Osceola County and the city of Leesburg in Lake County, although not from the same operator. In 2023, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law that allows municipalities to use speed detection cameras to enforce school zone speed limits. The law gives freedom of choice to municipalities in selecting a vendor for the cameras. Osceola County partnered with Verra Mobility and Leesburg partnered with Altumit Inc. for enforcement.
The ability to choose a vendor, while not uncommon for municipal decisions, can lead to inconsistencies in effectiveness for school zone speed camera implementation.
The Palm Bay Police Department previously paused the program in February and March to assess community feedback and reported inaccurate violations. An audit afterward revealed that glitches had impacted some school zones. All cameras and zones were re-verified after the first suspension, and violators were refunded or had the citation dismissed.
For now, those who have received a citation from in between the two program pauses will have to pay for the violation online, via phone or mail. Violators can also request a magistrate hearing date.
