Thomasville opts to use automated enforcement in school zones

THOMASVILLE – The city of Thomasville Police Department recently partnered with RedSpeed USA to implement a program for automated speed enforcement in school zones. RedSpeed USA, an Illinois-based provider of automated photo enforcement devices, has partnered with more than 40 law enforcement jurisdictions in the state of Georgia to date.

“We have high hopes that automated enforcement will encourage drivers to slow down and obey the law in school zones,” Thomasville Police Chief Troy Rich said. “Traffic fatalities are the No. 1 cause of death for children ages 5-14 and young adults ages 15-29.

Very minimal reductions in speed make the roads much safer, especially for children.”

According to Rich, the program has commenced a 30-day warning period to help drivers adjust to automated enforcement within the school zones.

“During the warning period, RedSpeed will mail warning notices to drivers,” Rich said. “New signage alerting drivers of the enhanced automated enforcement already have been installed in the school zones.”

The school zone cameras have been installed along East and West Jackson streets, East Clay Street, and South Broad Street.

“The cameras will operate from 6 a.m.- 4:30 p.m., only on school days,” Rich said in a news release. “Our goal is compliance. At the moment, it is difficult for our officers to enforce speed in the school zones at all times. A sworn officer will review and approve each violation before a citation is issued and mailed by RedSpeed to the address associated with the vehicle.”

Rich said he hopes the cameras will reverse dangerous safety trends and encourage drivers to slow down.

“In 2018 Georgia House Bill 978 was passed, allowing for automated enforcement in school zones,” the TPD chief said. “HB 978 was introduced after a nationwide spike in pedestrian fatalities over the past decade. During that time, Georgia became one of the five deadliest states for pedestrians. Automated enforcement is endorsed as a safety tool by the Governors Highway Safety Administration, AAA, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and the National Safety Council.”

The cameras provided for the program are capable of supplying TPD with live video streaming and tag-reading abilities.

“One of the added benefits for TPD will be our ability to receive real-time notification of vehicles flagged for possible warrants or associated with an emergency, such as an Amber Alert,” Rich said.

The contract with RedSpeed comes with no up-front costs to the city.

“Fees generated from fines will pay for the service,” Rich said. “RedSpeed installed the equipment and trained our officers on system usage at no charge. Most of the revenue from the fines will go to the city of Thomasville to be used for public safety purposes, with the remainder going to RedSpeed.”

Fines begin at $75, go up to $125 for repeat offenders, and do not go on a driver’s history. All violations can be contested in Municipal Court.

The program will be fully operational on Oct. 12, when actual citations will be issued in lieu of warnings.

For more information about automated speed enforcement in school zones and a list of frequently asked questions, visit Thomasville.org.

TPD also will provide updates and answer questions on its Facebook page at facebook.com/ThomasvillePoliceDepartment.

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