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MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Starting Thursday, drivers in Manatee County will no longer receive tickets from school zone speed detection cameras across most of the area.
Key Information
- Manatee County commissioners voted 5-2 to end the school zone speed camera program, effective March 6.
- The only remaining active camera will be located in Holmes Beach.
- Over 55,000 citations were issued to drivers since the cameras were implemented last year.
This decision was made during Tuesday’s board meeting, where the motion passed with a vote of 5 to 2.
Since the cameras were introduced, they have issued citations to over 55,000 drivers within school zones. Among those affected is Liz Gabrick, who expressed her shock upon receiving multiple citations in January 2025 without prior knowledge of the cameras.
“These are the citations that I received at the beginning of January 2025. I was shocked to receive them in the mail. I had no idea about the cameras,” she recounted.
Gabrick has taken it upon herself to gather evidence by photographing the camera in question. “I’m going to use this footage for my court appearance on March 26th. I have several tickets that I need to dispute,” she explained, noting that she accumulated $300 in fines over two months. Her argument hinges on the assertion that the camera outside Tara Elementary is improperly placed.
“FDOT has specific guidelines on where the camera is supposed to be placed and how far the signs are supposed to be,” she added.
Gabrick’s concerns extend beyond her own situation, emphasizing issues with the overall implementation of the camera system. “It’s not only the commissioners that see it as a money grab, but it wasn’t set up properly,” she stated.
Commissioner Tal Siddique aligned with Gabrick’s concerns, arguing that the program lacked effective public engagement regarding enforcement schedules. “I was very much against how we were not informing the public about when we were enforcing it, and I think many people were confused,” he remarked. Nevertheless, he voted against terminating the program, citing its benefits in addressing safety concerns.
“The cameras served a good purpose. I’m sad that we’re losing our visibility on this problem. And I know the county would be blamed if someone gets hit,” he commented.
Conversely, some commissioners voiced that the program’s original aim — to enhance student safety — was not being realized. “It doesn’t serve the public, it does not protect the child’s safety, and it doesn’t do any of those things right now. I think this is something we need to get rid of completely,” stated Commissioner Bob McCann, who compared the speed cameras to a financial exploitation measure.
Another commissioner proposed reallocating resources toward increasing law enforcement presence in school zones instead of relying on cameras. “We do spend hundreds of millions of dollars on the sheriff’s department, so we need to utilize them,” said Commissioner Jason Bearden.
Questions surrounding potential refunds for fines arose, particularly from Siddique. Despite previous inquiries into the matter, he confirmed that residents could not seek refunds for their tickets. “I initially raised the question of how we could ask for refunds, but it became apparent to me that we couldn’t. And morally, I just felt that it wasn’t right,” he explained.
As of now, residents have the choice to contest their citations or settle them. All citations issued before March 6 remain valid, county officials emphasized. Siddique reiterated that there will be no refunds issued at this time.
In a related note, the Bradenton Police Department has clarified that speed cameras in the city’s school zones will continue to operate, unaffected by the county’s decision.
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Article original publish date: 2025-03-06 08:00:00
Article source: baynews9.com
Read the full story at the original source: baynews9.com
