City of Lakeland approves speed cameras in school zones

Lakeland commission approves school zone cameras
FOX 13's Carla Bayron shares the big change in Lakeland to help prevent students from being hit by cars near schools.
LAKELAND, Florida - After more than a dozen Polk County students were struck and killed by a vehicle last school year, city commissioners voted unanimously to pass an ordinance to install speed cameras in school zones.
Officials say the cameras are a proven safety measure that has been shown to change driver behavior.
"Typically, drivers who get a citation from safety cameras typically don't repeat offend. They change their behavior and there's a low recidivism rate," said Tess Schwartz, Traffic Operations Manager.
The backstory:
The city completed a week-long speed traffic safety study last year that looked at data, speed, traffic volume and other factors.
The schools identified with the most violations include Lincoln Academy, Crystal Lake Elementary, Philip O’Brien Elementary, Southwest Middle, North Lakeland Elementary, Lakeland High School, Lakeland Highlands Middle, and Sleepy Hill Elementary. The installation of cameras at these sites will allow police to focus on other school zones.
"In Polk County, over 20 students were struck by vehicles walking to and from school last school year. That's unacceptable, and we want to make sure that Lakeland students are safe," said Schwartz.
Thirteen of those students were killed.
The new ordinance is a part of Lakeland's Vision Zero Plan, which is an effort to eliminate fatal and severe injury crashes by 2035.
OTHER NEWS: 6 neglected dogs without food or water rescued from Polk County home, 2 men arrested: PCSO
Lakeland police say the installation of these cameras will allow them to focus on other school zones.
"It'll help us reallocate our resources. We can't be at every school. There are only so many of us and with this technology we can be at other places, and it'll help the community, because in time they need a police officer, the chances increase of actually seeing us," said Capt. Cheryl Kimball with the Special Operations Division.
In a statement to FOX 13, Polk County School District Superintendent Fred Heid said: "We welcome any improvements that help protect our student pedestrians. As Lakeland and Polk County continue to grow, it’s vital that we keep our school zones safe."
The hope is to have the cameras up by this Fall depending on permits.
What's next:
There will be a 30-day public awareness campaign before $100 fines are imposed.
The city can choose to add more cameras later.
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