The decision on whether to move forward with speed cameras in two school zones that are under the jurisdiction of the Polk County Police Department remained uncertain at this time after Chief Kenny Dodd came before the board asking them to partner with him in an effort to slow down drivers on Antioch Road and Atlanta Highway who have been zooming through the area.

School Board Chair JP Foster had numerous questions about the request. He started with some of the more specific, like whether the district would be responsible for any maintenance or utilities on the cameras (no) and most specifically whether the Polk School District Police Officers on the two campuses would be required to provide any assistance in the use of the cameras (also no.)

He also wanted to know specifically why the Polk School District was being requested by Dodd to then turn around and request the Polk County Police Deparment – and thus the county itself – to put the cameras up.

The goal Dodd wants to achieve is providing another tool in the police’s arsenal to get drivers to slow down, and help prevent tragedies from happening.

Greg Parks, the Senior Vice President of Business Development for RedSpeed Georgia provided several of the answers to questions posed by the chair during the school board’s work session on Tuesday evening for the month of September.

The program enacted into state law in 2018 but went into effect after the Georgia Department of Transportation put in place rules of the road for how public-private partnerships would work, Parks explained.

For instance, he explained that state law requires the district to request the use of the cameras from the police in the jurisdiction where a school zone sits.

So even though Dodd asked for the PSD to be partners in the process, on paper they have to be the one requesting him to seek their use.

He and Dodd also filled in some additional details to the school board previously provided to the County Commission on the use of the cameras, such as their ability to read license plates at all hours of the day and alert police to convicted sex offenders who have passed through the school zone, help find vehicles that have been sought in Amber Alerts, track stolen vehicles or people who might have warrants on them and alert police to their presence in the area, and even help track those with temporary protection orders who might have come to schools without permission.

The camera feed would be extended to the use of the district’s police department as well, Dodd said.

His company provides the equipment, maintenance and access to the technology online for local police departments nationwide, and in return they only turn over a portion of the $75 civil fines for being caught speeding on the cameras to law enforcement after they certify the tickets with human eyes locally before fines are sought.

The money can only be used for law enforcement purposes in each jurisdiction the cameras are being used. The tickets sent out have to be clocked at 11 miles per hour and more, and they don’t count against a driver’s points on their license.

Drivers who wish to contest a ticket an do to in Superior Court,

Board Member Chris Culver said he was against the idea for several reasons, but boiled down his point to it puts an additional burden on taxpayers locally who will get caught with the fines, and that he feels the deterrent from a physical presence from police will make a difference.

“I understand the safety, but I also understand your police cars sitting out there and pulling over those violators makes a huge impact and adds perception to our school system and to our public that we’ve got extra police force out there,” he said. “I’m not a huge proponent of eyes in the sky, of your (RedSpeed) product.”

Culver also pointed out the negative impact it has on business operators who own multiple vehicles and find themselves receiving tickets in the mail due to their employees being caught driving too fast by the cameras. He had not had that experience himself but it was a concern on the forefront of his mind in the discussions with Dodd and Parks during the Tuesday work session.

“You can slow down through these school zones without having to have a camera system, and I would much more personally have your police protection out there,” Culver said.

Dodd responded that his patrol officers – he cited five per shift currently – have to cover a territory of 312 square miles and can’t be everywhere but that he understood and respected Culver’s position.

“We don’t have time, we really don’t,” Dodd said.

School Board member Britt Madden Jr. wanted some additional information about how the utilities would work, and where the cameras would be placed. Parks said those utilities are covered by the company as part of their contract with the county to provide the equipment and services, and usually the cameras the company have placed throughout the state in area cities like Rome, and others in the metro Atlanta area, are all on either Department of Transportation or each county or cities’ right of ways.

Parks did add that in two instances in Gwinnett County, they were required to use school rights of way to place the cameras but that they had been the rare exception out of 100 camera installations running. Of note, he added that the company plans to bring their camera systems to the City of Cedartown in a forthcoming presentation as well.

School board member Vicki Mayes put plain her issues with the request during the presentation.

“When you look at this county, and you know this county because you have worked for this county,” she said. “If it is written that Polk School District requested these cameras, then there are going to be people in this county who say ‘you’re making money.’ That we do. So where’s the clarification that we’re not asking for this?”

Dodd did reiterate that it was his agency asking or the school board to partner with him to allow for the project to move forward.

Whereas her immediate neighbor Tommy Sanders voiced his full support for the cameras to be installed.

“I think it is a good thing, and they work,” Sanders explained. “My wife got a ticket in Emerson.”

Dodd said one of his own police cars received a ticket in recent days in Emerson as well.

Ultimately, school board members didn’t turn down the request or take up a vote, but Foster said that it would merit additional discussion during a planned retreat set for Saturday, September 12 that will cover board training, SPLOST planning and at least this item up for discussion among others and a facilities tour, if time allows.

The board also requested that he get additional input from the Polk County Commissioners on where the potential for cameras stands.

Board members also reviewed a number of technology items that will be put up for surplus from Cherokee and Northside Elementary schools, heard a report from the policy committee’s work to updates needed in several areas, reviewed the upcoming board retreat and board training schedule, and then went into executive session to discuss personnel and pending litigation.

The Board of Education is back in session on September 8.