Greenwich Officials Working To Address Complaints, Approval Issues With School Zone Speed Camera Program

GREENWICH, CT — The Board of Selectmen on Thursday received an update from police on the town's school zone speed camera program as officials look to remedy resident concerns and work out remaining issues.

The program was rolled out in school zones last fall but halted earlier this month after the town received complaints from the public, notably about signage and the appeals process.

Additionally, after the town said it conducted an internal review, it was found that the approval process for the program was not completed entirely as required at the local level.

When active, the cameras issued violations to drivers exceeding the speed limit by more than 10 mph during designated school hours.

First-time violations carried a $50 fine, increasing to $75 for subsequent offenses. Each citation was reviewed by the vendor, Blue Line Solutions, and then by the Greenwich Police Department’s traffic section before being mailed to the vehicle’s registered owner. Drivers had 10 days to appeal a violation.

Sgt. James D. Smith, traffic supervisor within the Greenwich Police Department, appeared before the selectmen and gave a rundown of the program, noting the CT Department of Transportation and the Town of Greenwich received complaints and positive responses about the program since its implementation six months ago.

Feedback included suggestions on improving signage in and around school zones, and trimming branches that are blocking existing signs, Smith said, noting the changes are "nothing that couldn't be remedied in a quick and efficient manner."

"Currently, we've been working with the Town of Greenwich Traffic Engineering, Blue Line, and us regarding those adjustments of signage," Smith said, adding that police have gotten complaints about why signs aren't illuminated better. "We are still awaiting a reply from Connecticut DOT regarding the additional time placards on signage, saying when the times of enforcement are, to see if that's DOT-compliant."

Smith noted there are strict standards in place for signage, and all signs must comply with federal regulations.

Another point of contention for residents was the 10-day appeals process, Smith said

"We spoke with the vendor Blue Line. They're open to going to 30 days, but they would like the town ordinance to reflect 30 days as well, so there's consistency across the board, so we just need to follow up on that," Smith said.

First Selectman Fred Camillo was in favor of expanding the appeal window, saying 10 days "wasn't fair" to residents who might have gone out of town for a few days only to return and have limited time to handle violations.

To address the approval process issues, a required public hearing on the speed camera program has been scheduled for 7 p.m. on May 14 at Town Hall, Smith told Patch.

"There were no issues in how the violations were being processed, and there was no issue with the actual plan as it was approved by the state," Smith stressed.

The Representative Town Meeting will then have a final vote on the program at some point in the future, Smith said.

Smith said the public hearing will feature comments from the Board of Selectmen, police, and representatives from the camera vendor, Blue Line Solutions.

As part of his update to the selectmen on Thursday, Smith also highlighted how the program has helped to reduce speeding in town.

"Since the implementation of the program, we have noticed a reduction in speed and the number of violators coming through to be processed," Smith said.

"The program is not intended to replace police officers; we just want that to be clear. It's a force multiplier. Obviously, there are only so many of us out on the road. But this is a more efficient way of identifying violators," Smith said of the program.

Camillo said other towns around the state that are in the process of implementing speed cameras have reached out to Greenwich for feedback.

"Some are doing the cameras 24/7, so for those out there that are thinking it's a police state here, it's not. We're actually pretty lenient with this. The whole point is, as the sergeant said, speeding has come down. That's the point," Camillo said.

Selectwoman Lauren Rabin said she's received numerous emails from residents seeking refunds for the tickets they received, since it was found the approval process for the program wasn't completely followed.

Camillo said no determination on refunds has been made.

"We've told people, don't email us about that right now, because that's not been decided. We still have to speak with Blue Line, and we're speaking with our attorneys," Camillo said.