Drivers in Florida are demanding refunds after an investigation revealed that a faulty speed camera program cost motorists over $700,000 in fines.
The now-defunct scheme was established in Palm Bay, a city southeast of Orlando, and resulted in nearly 16,000 people receiving citations.
In records obtained by Fox35 Orlando, the initiative generated a profit of $347,535 for the City of Palm Bay before it was shut down in August.
A further $431,174 was split between state costs, the local school board, and other vendors. Overall, a staggering $781,709 was raised in total.
Over 7,840 people paid a $100 fine they received in the mail, though 8,000 other tickets have now been declared void.
The cameras were initially installed as part of a scheme to catch drivers speeding in school zones. However, it was soon revealed by Fox35 that the cameras were placed too close to the roadside, which led to faulty readings and potentially constitutes a violation of state law.
Now, angry drivers are saying that the City of Palm Bay needs to go further.
“I think they should refund every ticket that was issued,” Christy South, a Palm Bay driver, said.
If refunds are not issued, she believes the money should be used to increase the number of police in school zones.
“An actual, live person should be there protecting the kids,” she said.
“Putting a physical police officer in the area would solve the problem,” Christopher Piedra, a fellow Palm Bay citizen, said.
One resident stated that the scheme had been rolled out too quickly and was too complicated for drivers to understand.
“When the yellow light is blinking, you got to do this speed. When it’s not blinking for so much time, you got to do this speed.
"It’s just too much, too fast,” Sheridan Keber complained.
Rob Medina, the city’s mayor, confirmed that the speed camera program has been cancelled despite his support for the “concept of the school zone camera program.”
“Our children are our most precious resource, and we must ensure any initiative designed to protect them is implemented with the highest level of integrity and reliability,” he said.
The Independent has contacted the City of Palm Bay for further comment.
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