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Palm Bay, Florida – In recent weeks, Palm Bay residents have raised valid questions about the city’s new School Zone Speed Enforcement Camera program, concerns over accuracy, transparency, and intent. The Palm Bay Police Department has listened and responded swiftly, pausing the program to address issues brought to light by citizens and ensure it meets the community’s needs. But this initiative is more than a reaction to recent headlines, it’s a citizen-led effort to protect our children, rooted in a new state law and a shared commitment to safer streets.

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Palm Bay’s camera program owes its existence to Florida House Bill 657, signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis on May 31, 2023, and effective July 1, 2023. This legislation marked a turning point, authorizing counties and municipalities to deploy speed detection cameras in school zones to catch drivers exceeding the limit by 10 mph or more. Sponsored by Representative Traci Koster (R-Tampa) and Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez (R-Doral)—both mothers driven by a personal stake in child safety, HB 657 sailed through the Legislature with overwhelming bipartisan support (95-6 in the House, 35-3 in the Senate). It was a response to Florida’s dismal school zone safety record, with studies showing the state ranks among the nation’s worst for unsafe driving near schools.

The bill wasn’t without history. A similar proposal stalled in 2022, facing pushback over privacy concerns and comparisons to controversial red light cameras. Learning from that, HB 657’s architects built in safeguards: fines are a flat $100 with no license points or insurance hikes, enforcement is limited to school hours, and local oversight ensures fairness. For Palm Bay, this law unlocked a tool to tackle a long-standing problem that citizens kept bringing to the City Council—speeding in residential school zones—while staying true to its community-driven roots.

School zones are lifelines for our kids, especially in Palm Bay, where most hug residential streets. These aren’t just traffic zones; they’re where children walk, bike, and cross daily. Tragically, we and this city knows the cost of inaction—I’ve personally covered several stories where children have been struck by cars in these areas before. Those incidents fueled a groundswell of concern years ago, when residents approached the city council demanding solutions to rampant speeding and reckless driving. The school zone camera program, enabled by HB 657, is what Palm Bay City Council decided was the answer.

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Nationwide data backs this up: speed cameras in school zones cut violations and crashes, protecting pedestrians where it counts most. Palm Bay’s program isn’t about revenue—it’s about prevention, a way to reinforce safety in neighborhoods where slowing down can save our most vulnerable’s lives. One resident stated he believes just the presence of the cameras alone is making a tangible impact on reducing driver’s speeds. “Even if it’s not on, it’s there, and people are slowing down,” he said.

No new system is flawless out of the gate, and Palm Bay’s cameras hit snags early on. Residents reported questionable tickets, unclear signage, and inconsistent enforcement times. The Palm Bay Police Department didn’t dodge the criticism. They paused the cameras this past week, issuing a heartfelt apology: “We want to apologize for the frustration and stress this has caused. We understand your concerns, and we hear you.”

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They also took action. The police is audiing the system with the camera vendor, pinpointing glitches that led to incorrect violations. Those tickets issued before? Refunded or dismissed, with notifications mailed to affected drivers. The Traffic Unit then verified every camera, flasher, and sign, syncing them with school schedules and state rules under HB 657. “Sometimes errors are unknown until a system goes live,” they noted in a press release today—a reality familiar to anyone who’s updated a phone and hit bugs. Community feedback was the spark that drove these fixes, proving this program is a partnership.

When the review is complete and every camera has been thoroughly checked, the cameras will reactivate, and the police are doubling down on clarity. They’ve promised detailed public info—school zone specifics, enforcement times, and speed thresholds—so drivers know exactly what to expect. This aligns with HB 657’s mandate for transparency, ensuring the program serves safety, not surprises. Continuous oversight will keep it on track, a commitment to reliability and fairness baked into both the law and local execution.

In order to even trigger a ticket, a driver must be exceeding the posted limit by 11mph. But to be clear, that is not just during school zone hours. That specific “speed zone” is active the entire school day which means not only during flashing light times, but while school is in session as well. So if the posted speed limit is 40mph in that speed zone area, and it between 30 min before or after school hours, a driver going 51mph or more will be ticketed.

Palm Bay’s school zone cameras are a testament to what happens when citizens, police, and lawmakers align. HB 657 provied the legal framework, but it’s the community’s voice past and present that’s shaped it. From residents demanding action years ago to those refining it now, this is our program. The police have thanked us for our patience, but we appreciate them too or listening, verifying, and acting to get it right.

You can read the entire Palm Bay Police Department press release below:

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