Number Of Residents 'Upset' With Speed Camera Tickets, Camillo Says

GREENWICH, CT — Some residents aren't happy about being ticketed for speeding in Greenwich school zones, according to First Selectman Fred Camillo.

Camillo wrote in his weekly newsletter to the community on Friday that the town has "heard from a number of residents who are upset about being ticketed by the Town’s new traffic cameras for allegedly going in excess of the speed limit in school zones."

"To be clear, no one should ever be speeding in Greenwich, especially in school zones during school hours," Camillo added. "That is common sense and we will always prioritize public safety here."

The rollout of the speed enforcement program, a partnership between the town and Greenwich police, has been staggered with distinct phases.

The first set of cameras began the citation phase on Nov. 19. A second set started issuing citations on Dec. 17, and one additional camera in the Greenwich High School zone on East Putnam Avenue began issuing citations on Jan. 8.

Thirty-day warning periods preceded citation activation.

Photo speed cameras are active and enforced on days that school is in session, children are present and when the school zone beacons are flashing.

An initial violation is $50, with each subsequent violation costing speeders $75.

The discussion about the new speed cameras continued during Friday's Board of Selectmen meeting.

Selectwoman Lauren Rabin reminded residents about an appeals process for tickets, saying the Citizens Police Advisory Committee is part of a panel that considers ticket appeals.

Rabin noted that each recorded violation undergoes a double-review system. Blue Line Solutions, the camera vendor, conducts an initial review, then a sworn Greenwich police officer conducts a second review.

Police say the process is designed to cull incorrect data, such as emergency vehicles responding to calls for service, plate misreads, duplicate entries or incorrect data recorded.

After both reviews, data is sent back to Blue Line Solutions for civil citation issuance.

Camillo said he heard from a friend who was concerned he didn't see any cameras in other towns.

"They are in other towns. Greenwich is not the only one," Camillo said, noting a goal of the program is to change driver behavior.

"I don't particularly like having cameras all over the place either, but if it gets people to slow down, I think that's a good thing," he said.

Camillo recalled past incidents of pedestrians being hit and injured in Greenwich, and even being killed.

"So let's keep that in mind and try and slow down, and certainly, I understand if you have to get someplace early, try and think ahead of time about your schedule, and not just in school zones, but all over. Please keep an eye on the speedometer, put the phones down," he said.

Last month, as of Dec. 15, police said the speed camera enforcement program had issued 12,006 warning tickets, and 2,294 citations to motorists.

Police noted an "intentional lag" between when violations occur and when citations are issued due to the daily review process.

The department said it planned to share speed camera data monthly on its website, along with other call-for-service information for public consumption.

More information on speed cameras in Greenwich school zones can be found here.