Opinion: Who voted for the speed cameras in Fairfield?

Who voted for the speed cameras in Fairfield?

I did, my name is Steve Berecz and I am a lifelong resident of Fairfield, a graduate of the Fairfield Public School System who is married and has 2 children (my wife and 2 sons are all graduates of the Fairfield Public School System), a retired 36-year public school teacher (Trumbull), I am a former 33+ year employee of the Fairfield Recreation Dept. (my last position was Waterfront Director), I have coached soccer for the Fairfield Recreation Dept. as well as both Fairfield Ludlowe and Fairfield Warde High Schools, and I am a four-term member of the Fairfield Representative Town Meeting (RTM). I voted for the cameras and I would do it all again if the issue came before me again in the future.

My parents always taught me to take responsibility for your actions. As a parent and teacher, I have always espoused that to my own children and to those I taught. Judging by some of the letters and comments I have read, this notion seems outdated in this day and age. Many of the comments and letters describe a situation in which people feel an injustice has been done to them, when the reality is it is 100% their choice and completely controllable by their own behaviors. These are not speed traps, they are areas in town (only in front of schools), where people who choose to break the law are held accountable for their actions by technology. Just because you are caught by a camera instead of a police officer does not mean you have not broken the law. Take responsibility for your own actions.

I am not a lawyer, but I have heard that in legal circles there is a saying that goes something like, “if you can’t argue the facts, argue the procedure.” That is what many of the letters/comments I have read are focusing on now. “There was not enough warning”, “this is a money grab”, “the speed is too slow”, “it should not be happening 24 hours a day” (as if you only have to follow laws during certain hours) are some of the comments I have read. These are from people who cannot defend their behavior and are pivoting to arguing the procedure. In my opinion, your time is better spent concentrating on your own driving behaviors.

To the out-of-town people complaining: long ago, my parents told me that if you go to someone else's house, be on your best behavior. Enough said.

Then there are the people complaining that it is some sort of invasion of privacy. You carry a cell phone that not only tracks your movements, but also tracks preferences, purchases and a whole lot of other things as well. There is a camera in virtually every business you walk into, for years people can watch you travel down I-95 on Channel 12, and many people have cameras on their doorbells and other cameras on their private property. If a homeowner has the right to make their property more safe by putting a camera there, why can’t the Town of Fairfield put a camera on their property (the roads) to make them more safe?

Some facts…

-You have to go 11 MPH over the posted speed limit to be issued an infraction

-There are only six locations in town covered by the speed cameras

-There are only 2.38 miles of roadway covered by speed cameras, there are 270 miles of public

roadway in the Town of Fairfield; the percentage of public roadways covered by speed cameras is 0.88.

-The State of Connecticut DOT approved the town’s rollout of the program and said everything was done that needs to be done to implement the program

-The vote to approve the cameras was not close in the RTM, and there was bipartisan support for it, and a few bipartisan votes against, a rare situation in the present political climate

-Representatives of the Fairfield Police Department said this would be a valuable tool to improve safety

As a kid growing up in Fairfield, I rode my bike to Osborn Hill, Fairfield Woods and Andrew Warde High School as well as many other athletic fields, homes, businesses etc. Many parents today do not have the same confidence in the safety of our roadways to allow that to happen.

About a month ago, I volunteered to participate in a “Ride your Bike to School Day” at Stratfield School. There were many students who participated with an escort of police (in cars and on bikes), parents and local representatives such as myself on bikes, all working to maintain safety.

It should not take a police escort for a kid to ride a bike to school. Do the cameras solve the problem of dangerous driving in town? Absolutely not. Is it a step in the right direction?

Definitely yes.

I am sorry if I offended anyone with the terse tone of this letter, but this is only the second “LTE” I have written in my life, and despite my position on the RTM, I am a pretty reserved person. I had a difficult time standing by and listening to the “noise” surrounding the issue and I felt it necessary to speak up.

To the great voters of District 7: I was elected to represent you and to work in the best interest of the Town of Fairfield. I felt I did that with this vote. If the majority of you feel I did not do that, there is a day in November 2027 that you can make your opinions known.

Thanks for reading and thinking about what I have written here,

Steve

Steve Berecz

RTM District 7