EAST CANTON, Ohio — The Village of East Canton is the latest community to install speed cameras.
Eight cameras have been installed along Nassau and Wood streets. The cameras will capture the license plates of speeding vehicles from the rear. A data processor and a police officer will review the data before sending the traffic citation by mail.
Starting this week, the cameras will issue warnings to any vehicle exceeding the speed limit by 10 mph or more for the next 30 days. Then, the cameras will start issuing citations. According to the Village of East Canton, any driver going 10 to 30 miles over the speed limit will face a $175 fine.
Even with the thorough process, not everyone in the village is on board.
"Most of the people are good people," resident David Hunter said. "We don't need the traffic things. I think it's an invasion of privacy."
Targeting Solutions Limited President Trevor Elkins said these cameras are the result of smaller police departments in East Canton and other communities.
"What we found is there are just enough police officers and municipalities just don't have the resources to devote someone to this issue," he said. "It is an ongoing problem."
Elkins' company helped East Canton and other local communities with securing these speed cameras. He said installing speed cameras can help these communities become safer, but it can also generate revenue for cities.
It's something he has seen firsthand as the mayor of Newburgh Heights, which has seen financial growth since speed cameras were installed in 2013.
"We then use that money to provide our police officers with better equipment," he said. "We hire more police officers. That equipment goes beyond just road safety. Now, we use that money to repave roads."
Elkins is fully aware of the pushback that comes with speed cameras. He said using this technology is not about creating speed traps or meeting quotas.
"We're not targeting the motorist who is going three miles over or five miles," he said. "These are people who are doing ten or more."
Elkins said it's about keeping communities safe despite having limited resources. He said more communities are turning to speed cameras as solutions.
"I can tell you it is proliferating as budgets get tighter, as it becomes clear we are going to have fewer and fewer police officers," he said. "This is a way for municipalities to monitor that segment of law enforcement."
For now, East Canton residents said they think otherwise.
"I think it is a big money grab," Hunter said. "East Canton has a very small police department. The traffic problems are not on the main streets. It's on the back streets that are being ignored."
Caitlin Hunt is the Good Morning Cleveland traffic and transportation reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on X @CaitlinHuntTV, on Facebook or email her at Caitlin.Hunt@wews.com.
