Palm Bay looking into new school zone cameras to catch speeding drivers

PALM BAY, Fla. - The City of Palm Bay is considering new cameras in school zones to catch speeders and keep kids safe. 

There are 16 school zones in Palm Bay, and the city wants to add two cameras per zone. This means anyone driving 10 miles over the speed limit near a school would get a $100 fine with new automatic cameras.  

"We need more cops around here," said Vincent Roman, a parent and grandparent who lives near a school zone in Palm Bay. 

From his driveway, he says he sees dangerous driving all the time.   

"People speeding just for nothing. It’s just wow – they don’t even respect that we have kids here," he added. 

Palm Bay’s police chief supports the new safety enforcement tool. Mariano Augello says speeders will slow down if they’re fined $100 every time they break the law.   

"This will bring things to a standstill in terms of the violators that are driving through recklessly through our school zones, endangering the lives of our kids," the chief said at a city council meeting in December discussing the cameras. 

Some of the money the city makes on traffic violations will be put back into public safety to help fund crossing guards or new police equipment.   

"I think you’ll catch a lot of people. I’m actually in favor of putting cameras up in a lot more places," said John McGeough, a substitute teacher living near a school zone. 

The city says any tickets they issue won’t affect people's driving records. Officials say it’s all about education and changing bad behavior.  

"It’s a grave danger because young kids, obviously, they’re not looking around like an adult would," McGeough added. 

Since the cameras would be automatic and collect footage in school zones, the mayor also thinks they can help police with other criminal investigations.  

"I think tapping into that resource is critical. As our city continues to grow. We’re at 135,000 today, and in that – we have to do everything we can to protect our citizens," said Mayor Rob Medina who also supports the new cameras. 

This issue is on the agenda for Thursday’s city council meeting, and the city still wants to hear feedback from the public.

A similar law is already in place in Georgia. Officials there saw speeding in school zones decrease by 70 percent in the last five years.