CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Cape Coral police have issued more than 12,000 tickets to drivers speeding since school zones since cameras were installed six months ago, as all of the devices prepare to reactivate for the new school year on August 11.
FOX 4's Bella Line spoke with Police Chief Anthony Sizemore about the cameras:
The cameras, which went into effect last January, are part of the city's effort to improve safety for students walking to and from school.
"We always rank high with pedestrian crashes in our region. We've had some pretty high profile instances of children getting hit on the way to school throughout our history," said Anthony Sizemore, Cape Coral Police Chief.
The cameras will begin ticketing again on August 11 for the first day of school. They will capture violations for anyone traveling 11 miles per hour over the posted speed limit during active school zone hours — 30 minutes before school, during the school day, and 30 minutes after dismissal.
A traffic study presented to the city council last year identified Skyline Boulevard as having the highest number of speeders in school zones. While visiting this area, I found residents have noticed changes in driver behavior.
"We slow down, we see the lights on, and we slow down and we just watch them just wiz on by us," said Colette Parrino, who lives near the Skyline school zone.
Some neighbors report drivers finding alternative routes to avoid the cameras.
"Speeding up and down the street at the school closing and opening and they are going like a bat out of blank," said Lee Hampe, another resident near the Skyline school zone.
A Cape Coral Police Department spokesperson addressed these concerns, stating: "If people are caught speeding in the surrounding areas, they will receive a ticket from law enforcement. We are still very much engaged with making traffic safety a priority."
Chief Sizemore emphasized that the program's success would ideally mean fewer violations.
"I hope we can get that number down. If we ran this program and had zero violations and didn't make one red cent, I'd be happy, because that would equate to safety," Sizemore said.
More information on the school zone cameras, click here.
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