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The Tampa City Council took the first step toward an expansion of the city’s school-zone speed camera program, but the vote came with enough caveats to make clear the issue is not settled.
Council members approved the ordinance on first reading, setting up a final public hearing and second vote on July 16.
The city currently has 12 schools with speed cameras. If approved, the ordinance increases that number to 18, with cameras being placed in school zones identified as averaging between 200 and 3,000 potential violations per day, according to a new speed study.
Only six of the initial 12 schools are included in the updated list, meaning the move would bring new cameras to 12 new schools across the city overall.
Several Council members who voted “yes” said their support comes with apprehension.
Council members expressed concern that the study used to justify the expansion was conducted by the same contractor, RedSpeed, that would benefit from the proposal. They also noted that RedSpeed is known to share camera data with Flock Safety, which shares data with law enforcement databases. That gave rise to questions about how information gathered through them could be used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Other members were concerned about the use of revenue raised, indicating that they prefer the funds be dedicated back toward school safety.
Despite the vote to move forward, Council members asked city staff to return before the final vote with more information about RedSpeed. Questions included whether the City Council could terminate the contract early, if other vendors are available, whether the city could piggyback on another contract, and whether RedSpeed will sign an affidavit prohibiting the company from sharing Tampa’s camera data with Flock.
Council members also asked legal and mobility staff to come back with a draft ordinance requiring revenue from school-zone camera penalties to be used solely for school safety efforts.
The result was a tentative step forward for the Tampa Police Department, which argued the cameras are needed to slow drivers near schools. But it also reflected growing discomfort among Council members over privacy, surveillance, vendor selection and whether the city should rely on cameras as its primary tool to protect students.
Council Member Luis Viera made the motion to advance the ordinance, arguing that concerns about potential misuse should not block what he views as a proper use of the cameras.
“There’s a bunch of issues that we’re discussing now that essentially talk about the potential misuse of this ordinance, and I don’t think the potential misuse of the ordinance should preclude the reasonable use and proper use of this ordinance on something that’s very important to a lot of communities on issues of safety for children,” Viera said.
Council Member Bill Carlson said he supported the ordinance on first reading because rejecting it would leave the current locations in place. He said the existing list is concentrated heavily in East Tampa, while the proposed list spreads cameras more broadly throughout the city.
He noted that the city is estimating $14.7 million in first-year revenue, with about $10 million net to the city after other costs or distributions. He said if the money is used for anything other than school safety, residents will view the program as a cash grab.
“In terms of the argument about a cash grab or not cash grab, I think that’s going to be the next discussion. It depends on what we do with the $10 million. It says we can use it for school safety or public safety, so if we use it for anything other than school safety then it’s going to look to the public like a cash grab,” Carlson said.
He made a motion asking legal and mobility staff to draft an ordinance requiring the money to be used only for school-zone mobility infrastructure designed to deter speeding. Council members discussed possibilities such as raised crosswalks, road narrowing, flashing signs and broader safety improvements near schools.
“The idea should not be about collecting money,” Carlson said. “It should be about stopping people from speeding through these areas.”
Council Member Lynn Hurtak also voted “yes,” but said she was also doing so to move the cameras around. Hurtak pressed concerns about RedSpeed and Flock, and asked staff to research options for amending or ending the existing contract.
The contract was negotiated by Mayor Jane Castor’s Office, and is a piggyback agreement tacked on to Hillsborough County’s contract with RedSpeed — raising concern that the Council may not have their hand on the wheel if disagreements over Flock integration arise.
“I went back and read the Hillsborough County RFP, and all it does is talk about how it integrates with Flock, it’s the only one that integrates with Flock, and again throughout the country all we’ve heard is that Flock is integrating with ICE. We can say we don’t want it all we want, but clearly that’s what they are good at and that’s what they’re known for,” Hurtak said.
Messmer said RedSpeed could provide an affidavit stating that it will not send Tampa’s data to Flock under the city’s contract. The Council later approved a motion made by Hurtak directing staff to obtain that affidavit before the July 16 hearing.
The Council also asked staff to return with information on any other contracts with different vendors the city might be able to piggyback on instead of RedSpeed at her behest.
Hurtak also called on Castor’s administration to weigh in on Flock concerns.
“I want to hear from the administration, after what we have heard from the public, what they are willing to do to end this contract and enter with a company that is not Flock supported,” Hurtak said.
Council Chair Alan Clendenin was the lone “no” vote on the expansion, saying his issue was not only with RedSpeed, but with automated camera enforcement generally.
“Why are we splitting revenue with a vendor and not using our own police force to enforce our laws?” Clendenin said. “I mean, this is really honestly privatizing enforcement action to cameras that you can’t cross-examine. That’s just a slippery slope for me.”
Clendenin also said he regretted previous support for the camera program.
The ordinance now heads to a July 16 public hearing and final vote. Until then the expansion remains alive, but it seems far from final.
The post Tampa advances school zone camera expansion despite contractor concerns appeared first on Florida Politics – Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..
