DAYTON, Ohio — Data shows an Ohio city’s decision to pull the plug on its fixed red light and speed-detection cameras resulted in a dramatic reduction in fines.
The City of Dayton is still using some speed cameras in school zones but halted use of its fixed traffic cameras that record violations and result in citation notices a few months ago, the Dayton Daily News reported Friday.
Photo-enforcement citations hit a high of 8,949 in May. But after the cameras were no longer being used in September, citations fell to 609 and then dropped to 492 in October, police data shows.
John Musto, Dayton’s chief trial counsel, said the city’s photo enforcement program remains active but has been modified to focus on traffic enforcement in school zones.
Officials have been using mobile speed trailers to issue those citations, which doubled in November and then nearly quadrupled in December.
The changes to focus on devices in school zones means the city does not lose local government funds because the money is going toward school safety uses.
In July, a new state law went into effect that required cities with automated photo-enforcement programs to report the amount of money they receive in fines to the state. Dayton received nearly $1.9 million from the program in 2018 and is expected to receive more than $6 million in local government funds from fines accrued last year.
