AUDIO TRANSCRIPT: Cameras added in school zones across the city of Syracuse
Alex Grondin: Yeah, thanks, guys. At school zones like these and all across the city of Syracuse, there’s going to be cameras implemented. I was over at Lincoln Middle School earlier this morning where I spoke with Sergeant Thomas Blake, who told me the numbers are already concerning.
Sgt. Thomas Blake: No, not at this time, but like you alluded to, we’ve had 60,000 violations in the city of Syracuse in just two weeks. of this kind of warning period, if you will. So pretty alarming numbers.
Alex Grondin: Blake said the police department has received complaints from the public. He noted that he understands the concern people have around new technology and wants the public to know this is not a money grab.
Sgt. Thomas Blake: And this isn’t about the fine amount, that’s just kind of what happens, but this is all about keeping children safe and that’s the main goal here. The goal is not to issue a bunch of tickets, it’s to change the behavior so that kids can go to and from school safely.
Alex Grondin: Carrie Rewakowski, a mother of four, likes the cameras and is in agreement with the Syracuse Police Department.
Carrie Rewakowski: No, I think they’re doing the right thing and I think they’re going about it in the right way. They’re issuing notices. that are very informative, that give the person, the offender, the right information about what the program’s about.
Alex Grondin: Her youngest son is 16-years-old and will soon be on the road. She says she has been preparing him to be a safe driver.
Carrie Rewakowski: Well, I hope to get him into driver’s ed first. I’m waiting for the schedule to come out for that. I’m also talking with him about defensive driving practices, and so I hope that he is a safe driver himself, but also aware of the dangers on the road.
Alex Grondin: Yeah, well, next week is National Teen Driver Safety Week. And I asked Sergeant Blake what his message is to young drivers. And he said to be alert and anticipate danger. For NCC News, I’m Alex Grondin. Kiran and Nick, back to you guys.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – The city of Syracuse rolled out its Vision Zero Initiative back in January 2023, one of the phases, the School Zone Traffic Enforcement Program, has been live for just over two weeks.
The program which aims to slow down vehicles in school zones, has added a number of cameras across all school zones in the Syracuse City School District. That task may be harder than anticipated, in the first two weeks over 60,000 warnings were given out to drivers across the city.
According to the city’s website, nearly all the violations were speeding infractions, with about a third of the speeding offenses clocking in at 15 miles per hour or more over the posted limit. This program is in its warning phase, but on Nov. 2, tickets will be mailed out.
Sergeant Thomas Blake of the Syracuse Police Department said he’s heard the concerns from the public about this new technology, but he wants the people to know, this program is not about the money.
“This isn’t about the fine amount,” Blake said. “This is all about keeping children safe, and that’s the main goal here, the goal is not to issue a bunch of tickets, it’s to change the behavior so that kids can go to and from school safely.”
Blake said he thinks that when the warning period ends, the number of violations will be significantly higher. These warnings are not like your typical traffic stop, the interaction is with the car, not the driver. Blake noted that if someone is driving your car and passes one of the cameras, the ticket is mailed to you, not the driver.
This program that aims to protect students of all ages across the city is supported by Carrie Rewakowski, a mother of four children, her youngest is a sophomore at West Hill. All of her children went to school through the city district.
“No I think they’re doing the right thing and I think they’re going about it in the right way, their issuing notices that are very informative,” Rewakowski said.
Rewakowski said the warnings provide the offender with an understanding of the purpose of the program. Her youngest is 16-years-old and has not begun driving yet.
“Well I hope to get him into driver’s ed first, I’m waiting for the schedule to come out for that,” Rewakowski said. “I’m also talking with him about defensive driving practices, and so I hope that he is a safe driver himself, but also aware of the dangers on the road.”
Oct. 19-25 is National Teen Driver Safety Week. According to Blake, young drivers are more likely to speed than others. He said young drivers should learn how to drive defensively.
“Driving is an awesome responsibility, but it’s also a privilege,” he said. “Kids need to understand that, young drivers are inexperienced, they don’t possess the driver techniques as an older person would.”
When fines do start rolling out at the beginning of November, it will be a $50 fee for red light and speeding violations, and a $250 fee for overtaking a school bus while it is stopped. Blake said this program isn’t temporary, it’s permanent.