Chatham police report new speed cameras led to dramatic drop in school zone citations

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Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News

Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News

In 2019, Chatham County Police Department (CCPD) conducted a speed study in school zones throughout unincorporated parts of the county. The department found that nearly 93,000 vehicles traveled through the school zones during school hours over a five-day period. During that same time, more than 10,700 speeding violations occurred.

Since installing speed cameras in August of this year, however, the department has issued a total of 16,388 citations. During the initial 30-day warning period between Aug. 16 and Sept. 15, 8,415 warnings were issued. Between Sept. 16 and Oct. 31, Chatham Police wrote 7,974 citations with fines. Between Oct. 25 and Oct. 29, 972 citations were written, representing a 91% drop from the five-day study period in 2019.

Eye in the sky

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"We did a speed study and realized that we had a huge problem in our school zones," said Betsy Nolen, spokesperson for the CCPD. "Getting people to slow down and reduce the speed, we are also preventing accidents and hoping to prevent a tragedy."

Georgia law allows speed cameras to be installed in school zones. The law states that cameras can be turned on one hour before the school day, then remain on during school hours and one hour after school ends.

During this first phase, speed-detection cameras were installed at May Howard and Marshpoint elementary schools, Georgetown K-8, Coastal Middle School, and St. Andrew's, a private school on Wilmington Island.

The cameras were first activated on Aug.15, and between Aug. 16 and Aug. 31, during the initial 30-day warning period, the department issued 4,051 warning citations. By the end of the 30-day warning period on Sept.15, citations were reduced to 1,521, Nolen said.

Progress is measured week to week and month to month. Citations with fines started Sept. 16,  and since then, more than 7,900 citations with fines have been issued.

According to the latest monthly report released Nov. 15, the numbers went down again in October, with 4,255 total citations issued.

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The cost of speeding

Based on location, Nolen said, speed limits can change throughout the day. She explained the cameras will take a photo of a vehicle and the license plate; if a driver is caught speeding, the driver will receive a citation in the mail.

For the first offense, a $75 fine is levied. For additional offenses, a $125 fine is incurred. Each time, a $25 processing fee is charged.

Nolen said there are plans to install cameras at additional schools, but the process involves a multi-agency collaboration among the Georgia Department of Education, the SCCPSS Board of Education police department, and construction companies. Although there isn't a firm timeline, more cameras are coming.

A comparison between the five-day study period in 2019 and the five-day period in Oct. 2021 shows May Howard Elementary went from 3,620 speeding violations to 84  — a 98% decrease. St. Andrew's went from 1,580 speeding violations to 294, representing an 81% decrease.

Nolen added that speeding has been reduced as of Oct. 29 by 84% at the Marshpoint Elementary and Coastal Middle School zone.

Bianca Moorman is the education reporter. Reach her at BMoorman@gannett.com or 912-239-7706. Find her on Twitter @biancarmoorman.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Chatham police report new speed cameras led to dramatic drop in school zone citations