CLEWISTON, Fla — School zone cameras in Clewiston have been catching speeders - but they’ve also been catching some criticism. Fox 4’s Hendry County Community Correspondent Austin Schargorodski works in this area daily, so he stays on top of community issues.
At a council meeting is where he heard about the confusion and safety concerns around these cameras.
Watch the concerns raised at the city council meeting:
When drivers go through a school zone, flashing yellow lights typically signal when to slow down. But in Clewiston, most schools don’t have them, and commissioners said it’s a problem.
"I've had a member of the public come to me concerned about going through the school zone and having to be mindful of the camera, trying to figure out what time it is, and what the sign said," Commissioner Hyslope said.
These cameras launched earlier this year. Signs are posted with times indicating when the cameras are active, but commissioners said it’s distracting and believe flashing lights would help. The cameras ticket drivers going 11 miles per hour over the limit during school hours. It comes with a $100 fine. Commissioners said many people didn’t know about the cameras until citations started arriving.
"This program was rolled out in December, and now here it is in April and we’re just now having a presentation," Commissioner Gardner said.
Gardner also said she’s heard from residents who want the cameras limited to just pick-up and drop-off times.
"That’s the biggest complaint I’ve heard from folks - that school zones are school zones and they should be at the speed limit. But throughout the day, most kids aren’t out by the road, they’re on campus and not at risk of getting hit," Gardner said.
Hendry Schools Head of Security and Safety Curtis Clay, said safety shouldn’t be on a timer, pointing out that students and traffic are constant throughout the day. He agreed that flashing yellow lights would help but said drivers should already recognize when to slow down.
"I've gotta be honest with you - if you can’t tell it’s a school zone time with the amount of traffic that’s in those areas in the morning and afternoons — something’s wrong," Clay said.
At the council meeting, Altumint - the company behind the cameras - said the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office plans to use citation funds to install flashing lights. A request for a timeline was made, but there has been no response yet.
Now, commissioners said they are reviewing when the cameras should operate.
