'Shocked' Day Urges 3 Holdout Districts To Add School Bus Cameras

Editor's Note — Neither the New York State nor Rockland County bus stop arm camera legislation includes BOCES, only school districts, a BOCES spokesman said: a Board of Cooperative Educational Services is a different legal entity. Some political officials are working to change the legislation so that BOCES can participate.

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — Six of Rockland County's nine school districts have signed up for a safety program to mount cameras on the stop-arms of school buses, and the county executive issued a statement urging the other three to do so as well.

"This is a completely free program that without a doubt will protect children from being killed and we’re shocked we don’t have 100% participation from the schools yet," said County Executive Ed Day said in an announcement. "I urge parents in the districts which have not opted in to contact their school superintendents and request they do so expeditiously."

The program was announced in February. SEE: Rockland Offers Local Schools Free Bus Stop-Arm Cameras

Districts which have still not opted in include South Orangetown, BOCES, and East Ramapo, county officials said.

So far 165 buses have been equipped across the Suffern, Nanuet, and Pearl River school districts — and 111 tickets were issued in six weeks, county officials said, referencing the Rockland County BusPatrol Violation Compilation posted Monday on YouTube.

They said they anticipate another 300 buses to be equipped in North Rockland and Clarkstown by September.

School-bus-camera tickets are based on an evidence package that contains video and GPS telemetry.

Drivers caught by those cameras illegally passing activated stop-arms on school buses will then be issued the following penalties by mail:

• 1st Violation $250
• 2nd Violation $275
• 3rd Violation $300

BusPatrol even offers drivers a way to review their offense online. According to the company, the technology reduces the rate of illegal passings by up to 30 percent year over year. Here is a BusPatrol Fact Sheet.