The Fort Walton Beach City Council unanimously approved implementing photo speed enforcement cameras that will operate during entire school days rather than just during arrival and dismissal periods, following a presentation from Police Chief Robert Bage at Tuesday’s meeting.
- The automated system will issue citations to drivers exceeding the speed limit by 11 mph or more in school zones.
During school zone hours when beacons are flashing, tickets will be issued at 26 mph in 15 mph zones and 36 mph in 25 mph zones. Outside beacon times but during school hours, citations will be based on the regular posted speed limit plus 11 mph.
“We would hope that we don’t write the first speeding ticket,” Bage said. “I would hope that during the warning period and the educational period, when people know that there’s a repercussion for speeding through the school zones, that nobody speeds through a school.”
Before issuing citations, the city must conduct a 30-day educational campaign with warnings only. The program carries no upfront costs, with funding coming from the $100 citations. Revenue will be split with $39 going to the city, $21 to the vendor Red Speed, $12 to the school board, $5 to crossing guard programs, $3 for law enforcement training, and $20 to state general revenue.
- Recent traffic studies identified eight school zones exceeding 200 violations per day, including St. Mary’s Catholic School, Silver Sands, Edwins, Fort Walton Beach High School, Bruner, and Choctaw. Elliott Point recorded 192 violations.
Councilman Bryce Jeter supported all-day enforcement, citing varied student schedules. “100% [this] needs to be all day long because if you volunteer at a school or like you said, your daughter goes late, checks out early…between doctor’s appointments, mom’s volunteering,” Jeter said. “I’ve personally seen cars speed during the day and there’s a kid crossing the road at 11 o’clock.”
- While Councilman Travis Smith initially questioned the program’s necessity, he ultimately supported it after hearing about speeding complaints from Councilwoman Gloria Deberry near Silver Sands and Fort Walton Beach High School.
Under the contract with Red Speed, the city can terminate the program with notice and faces no equipment removal fees. Police maintain final approval authority over all citations.
According to Bage’s research, Maryland saw a 39% decrease in speeding violations after implementing full-day enforcement, while Washington D.C. reported a 30% drop in injury crashes near cameras after one year.
13 Responses
Considered that most times you find police huddled behind business talking amongst themselves. And not giving out traffic violations to those that are breaking the laws or driving erratically. I would push for the camera system be city wide. Then county wide. 98, Beal, and Eglin need red light and speed camera enforcement are especially needed.
You sound like a communist plant pushing for total surveillance… We don’t need cameras everywhere
You seem to not realize that driving on a public road is a privilege, not a right. If you don’t want to be surveilled, don’t drive.
I agree and I am also trying to get a bigger red round circle that says no turn on red arrow at the intersection of Mary Esther and Beal. A small sign is up there but it’s either nobody can saa it or else they don’t read English.
Who do you talk to for that? I would like to see a no u-turn sign at the left turn lane from Mary Esther to Wright Pkwy.
Maryland and Washington DC are examples of what not to do…
Traffic enforcement in FWB is nonexistent and needs to become a priority. For example, almost every day I turn off highway 98 into the Veteran’s Park parking lot. My wife and I bet on how many cars will blatantly run the red-light at that intersection. So far the record is seven but averages three during the summer. I know the OCSD and FWBPD are overloaded but drivers are out of control because there is no enforcement.
Automated speeding cameras to issue tickets should be illegal. The only people who benefit are the people collecting the money. The citizens of Fort Walton Beach need to vote those councilman and sheriff out of office. If the cops want to give you a ticket they need to do it in person period!
There’s many examples of cities doing this and being later forced to later take them out. Essentially you have a constitutional right to face your accuser. Automated citations mean no accuser to face in court and essentialy guilty without a trial. Lots and lots of cities across the USA have wasted tons of dollars on similar systems just to have to pay more money to taken them down a few years later.
So an unknown third party, will have access to very clear images of all our kids?
11 mph is 50 percent of the typical school limit of 20 mph. Seems lax with most drivers cruising through school zones at 30 mph.
I see both sides to everyone’s point here. Like the automated accuser, or having pictures of our children. I also don’t agree with the MPH gaps of 11Mph. That’s still way to high. I can see maybe 2 or 3 miles over as a buffer but 11, come on now. You know very well that if your traveling to and from and there is a school at that time you need to slow down and if you don’t you damn well deserve a ticket none of this well I forgot or I didn’t see it. My wife and I ate raising our two oldest grandkids and I still see it every morning and bus drivers speed too. So come on people slow down no one is that much of a hurry that a child’s life needs to be compromised.
So you can expect fewer but fatter cops on the force as less are needed. Also, there are problems with signage that I expect will land the city, red speed, and the school board in court. I look forward to the day the city loses their butts. The city doesn’t care about anything but the money.