CLEWISTON, Fla — Several school zone speed cameras in Clewiston are gone - an entire pole has even been yanked from the ground - and people want to know why.
Fox 4’s Hendry County Community Correspondent Austin Schargorodski works in this area daily, so people know him and his stories. That’s why he got a call about this, and he set out to get some answers.
Watch to hear why the cameras were suddenly removed:
If you drive past Clewiston Middle or High, you can’t miss the cameras, or… the lack of them. Without them, some parents and students worry drivers won’t slow down.
“They need to be careful because a lot of students drive without caution, or just adults in general, and they can hit people and students crossing roads to get to places,” one student said.
So why take them down? Hendry County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Captain Susan Harrelle says Altumint, the company who installed the cameras, found a problem. She said the poles are too close to the road - six inches too close - and not compliant with Department of Transportation regulations.
“So they are relocating those poles. So before they relocate the poles they’ve taken down the cameras,” Harrelle said.
Earlier this month, Schargorodski reported how effective Hendry County's school zone speed cameras have been, cutting violations by 96%. Harrelle said that even without the cameras, it doesn’t mean the law stops.
“Deputies could very easily be in the school zones, could be running radar, could be enforcing those school zone areas. So please slow down and follow the law,” Harrelle said.
Harrelle said Altumint aims to have the cameras back up and online by next week.
