Speed cameras in Y’town are part of the landscape

A graphic accompanying the front-page story in the Sept. 18 edition of The Vindicator on speed-camera citations in Youngstown would suggest that the devices haven’t deterred lead-footed drivers.

Indeed, as the mercury has risen this year, so have the number of civil speed notices handed out by the Youngstown Police Department.

As the statistics provided by the department show, June, July and August accounted for the most citations issued since the law-enforcement initiative went into effect in August 2015, except for the month after it started.

Nonetheless, police say the speed cameras have slowed highway traffic, and they point to the month-to-month numbers to support their contention.

After a month of alerting the public to the launch of the program, patrol officers began operating the cameras Aug. 18, 2015. Seven hundred and thirty-eight citations had been issued by the end of the month.

In September, there were 1,593; October, 1,237; November, 794; December, 680; January, 852; February, 1,015; March, 1,251; April, 709; May, 998; June, 1,494; July, 1,557; August, 1,461.

Police officers say the September 2015 number reflects the newness of the city’s speed-monitoring initiative.

So, what’s the explanation for the spike in the last three months? First, there was the change in the weather from cold to hot.

“In the winter because of road conditions, people aren’t driving as fast – or at least I’d hope you’re not driving 70 mph on snow-covered roads,” Lt. William Ross, head of the city police department’s traffic unit, told The Vindicator. The unit operates the speed-camera program.

The second reason for the spike in citations is the significant increase in the number of officers operating the city’s speed-monitoring devices.

When the program began in August 2015, there were four or five officers in the unit. Today, there are more than a dozen assigned to different shifts. The city has three cameras, the same as it had a year ago, but typically doesn’t use more than two at one time.

CRITICISM OF PROGRAM

Nonetheless, critics of the program abound and argue that the traffic cameras are nothing but a money grab. But here’s the bitter truth: A speed-limit sign posted on a roadway isn’t a suggestion. If you break the law and are caught, you’ll pay the price.

As for the idea that the city of Youngstown is soaking motorists, consider these stats: Between mid- August 2015 and last month, police issued 14,379 citations, with 9,122 people paying the civil fines.

The penalties range from $100 to $150 depending on the speed.

It is also important to note that the speed citations do not add points to violators’ driving records.

In making the case that the program is serving as a deterrent to would-be scofflaws, police point to the fact that while more citations were issued in the past three months, fewer are being given for speeds significantly faster than the posted limits.

“People are speeding, but they are slowing down,” Ross said. “Without a doubt, it’s made the roads safer.”

And here’s police Chief Robin Lees’ take on the law-enforcement program: “The extreme speeds are down, and the violators we get are not as high. It’s more citations, but it’s at lesser speeds.”

The monitoring is concentrated in school zones and highways, especially Interstate 680 between South Avenue and Meridian Road. The speed limit is 50 mph in that section of the highway.

With a collection rate of slightly more than 60 percent of the citations issued, the total amount paid in fines was $876,000 for the August-to-August period. Of that, the city received $569,000, while the rest went to Optotraffic, the Maryland company that provided the speed cameras and processed and mailed the citations.

The police department is using the money to upgrade its rolling stock, including patrol cars, and other equipment. It also is purchasing a computer program to map traffic accidents and will upgrade its computer crime- reporting system.

The speed cameras staffed by officers are here to stay, but there’s a simple way of making sure the city of Youngstown doesn’t stick its hand into your pocket: Don’t speed – especially in school zones and heavily traveled roadways.