Speed cameras in school zones within the city limits of Soperton in southeast Georgia’s Treutlen County are raking in the cash for the town of ~2,990 residents.
Documents provided to TheGeorgiaVirtue.com through an Open Records Request reflect a sizable contribution to the city’s bank accounts in short periods of time thanks to the unmanned cameras. The city partnered with the private entity RedSpeed Georgia LLC in 2020 and renewed the state authorization for running an unmanned radar system in the school zones in April 2021.
TheGeorgiaVirtue.com filed an Open Records Request detailing camera revenues for the previous six-month period.
From September 1, 2021 to February 28, 2022, motorists paid a total of $142,728 in fines to RedSpeed Georgia, LLC. The agreement between the City of Soperton and RedSpeed Georgia, LLC allocates a 33% service fee to RedSpeed with Soperton retaining 67%. For the first offense, the penalty is $75.00. For the second and any subsequent offense, the penalty is $125.00.
6,069 violations were paid to RedSpeed in the same period and another 1,081 were dismissed. The city also reported 1,579 warnings, though there was no definition of what a warning entails. Eight affidavits were presented and there was one court hearing. The police department reported two police reviews of violations. Among the top recipients of violations was FedEx, paying 13 violations in the time frame.
Collecting $142,728 in six months means the city received $94,200 and RedSpeed received $48,528.
In Soperton, the cameras run from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.Monday through Friday, following the standard that they begin one hour before school begins and end one hour after school classes end.
Cities in Georgia are required to submit budgetary information and financial audit data to the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at UGA and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs in order to be eligible for grants. The City of Soperton most recent document on file dates back to FY 2012. At that time, the city reported $1,049,482 in General Fund Revenues, $30,000 of which stemmed from ‘fines’ brought in from the police department, and $385,616 in police department expenditures. The official city website does not offer any additional information on government operations.
How School Zone Speed Cameras Work
The cameras may only be used in a school zone. There is no investment by the city or county, as the company installs the equipment.
Drivers who exceed the speed limit are captured on camera. Unlike red light cameras, which depict a picture of the driver, speed zone cameras snap a photo of only the license tag with a remotely operated device, which uploads to the private company’s database. A certified peace officer approves the violations based on the license plate capture and the private company issues a violation notice. Payment is collected and the city receives a check (usually 55-70%) and the private company keeps the rest.
Rules for violation times vary by jurisdiction. Some cities will issue violations all 24/7/365 while others limit the enforcement to school hours during school months.
The entire process is authorized under OCGA 40-14-18, which was approved via HB 978 in 2017. The law took effect on July 1, 2018.
Issues with Unmanned School Zone Speed Cameras
Because the infraction is handled under an administrative process, you have no right to face your accuser, as you do with moving violations, citations, and criminal offenses.
Calibration of Cameras and Equipment
Unlike handheld radars calibrated and tested before each use by law enforcement officers, speed cameras rely solely on a ‘self-check’ system. The company otherwise manually checks the calibration of the detectors once to twice annually. There is no guarantee the machine is operating accurately. The City of Hamilton recently dismissed month’s worth of citations after discovering the radar did not work properly.
Impact on Financed Vehicles
RedSpeed Georgia, Blue Line Solutions, LLC, and other similar companies have the ability to place a lien on the vehicle associated with the tag captured in the photo. Under the terms and conditions of most financed vehicles, a second lien on a vehicle impairs the security interest of the first lien holder – the financier – which can initiate the repossession process. That means your failure to pay a violation (not a moving violation or a citation) can trigger your vehicle being repossessed.
No Paper Records in the Possession of the Governing Body
The sophisticated system is external and cloud-based. Violators pay tickets directly to the private entity through an online porta visible by city police, the clerk of court, and the municipal judge.
Contracts outline that companies provide data to the city during ‘normal working hours’ with the exception of trade secrets and ‘information not reasonably necessary for the prosecution of citations.’ The companies are also allowed to charge the cities for the information, which would otherwise ‘belong’ to the city.
Affidavits for Dismissal or Civil Acquittal
Affidavits may be submitted if an individual requests a hearing in municipal court on the premise that the individual can suggest or prove another person was driving the vehicle at the time of the captured picture. Sworn affidavits, however, require a notary, which requires preparation ahead of court. Any other defense in a hearing in municipal court would require self-representation or representation by an attorney…for the violation of $75-$150. For most, that is not practical.
Data Collection
The companies provide no proof that the cameras are only collecting data of violators.
Access to Data
Motor vehicle databases and records accessed by the Georgia Department of Revenue are otherwise sealed from public record and available only by subpoenas from attorneys and other officers of the court. If a citizen or a member of the media wanted access to the database for any particular reason, the release of the data would be shielded under the Georgia Open Records Act. These companies have access to public safety databases, much like towing companies do. As a result, they act on behalf of the law enforcement agency.
Just excellent reporting and writing here. Keep up the great work!