AVONDALE, Ariz. — Avondale has a problem: drivers just aren't slowing down. But the city police department thinks they've found a solution, and it's one that they can lay out wherever they need to.
About three to four years ago, the City Council approved a measure for the City of Avondale and Avondale Police Department to fund new cameras that will capture and ticket drivers for going over the speed limit.
"For us, it's a problem enough to where we want to respond," said Avondale Police Public Information Officer, Daniel Benavidez. "Our motorcycles are always out there, our patrol officers are out there, we do speed enforcement on weekends and nights so this is great to have an extra pair of eyes on the road to help us complete our mission.
The cameras look like tall, rectangular boxes with a camera facing forward and one on the side. The side camera will focus more on the driver while the front camera will snap a picture of the front of the vehicle as it's approaching the unit. It also can take a picture of the license plate and relay information about lane of travel and direction.
"It comes in two portable systems so we can place them at one location and a second one at another," Benavidez said. "We can rotate or move them every two weeks to address highly concerned areas from our citizens."
Speeding is a problem not just in Avondale but on roads across the country. In fact, the National Safety Council says in 2022, an average of about 33 drivers each day were killed in a traffic incident involving speeding. To help the issue here locally, Avondale Police say it was important they utilize the technology.
"It's a great motivation to convince and persuade drivers to drive safely," Benavidez said. "We've learned through our third party Verra Mobility that having a speed safety camera in place reduces speed incidents by 80% and it reduces the likelihood of fatal collision incidents by 19% so we're really happy to provide this service for our citizens."
>> Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
The cameras are not hidden but can be missed if the driver isn't paying attention. There is signage ahead of the camera to warn the driver about the enforcement. What's unique about these cameras, is they are mobile and can be moved to different spots across the city.
"There's nothing hidden about this program," Benavidez said. "We're happy to share and announce new locations and will post on social media pages and on Instagram about their location. The speed can also be modified based on the need and severity of the problem in the area it's in."
Between May 1 and May 14, at least 4,511 warnings were issued. The fine depends on the severity of the speeding incident. Warnings are currently being sent instead of tickets. However, starting June 1, drivers caught speeding will have to pay the price.
"We want to be able to address this problem with new innovative technologies. We're already committed to providing speed safety throughout our city and this is another tool we're proud of to add to that repertoire of work we're doing for our citizens," Benavidez said.
More information can be found here or City of Avondale Website.
12News on YouTube
Catch up on the latest news and stories on our 12News YouTube playlist here.
