Nearly 37,000 Speeders Recorded In Study Before Launch Of Speed Camera Program In Greenwich, Police Say

GREENWICH, CT — The Greenwich Police Department is touting the effectiveness of the town's school zone speed cameras, as the program remains paused.

According to the department, in an initial five-day speed study conducted before the program's launch last fall, automated tracking recorded 36,922 individual speeding events across eight Greenwich school zones.

"This pre-program study was conducted without public awareness that speed monitoring equipment had been deployed, allowing for an authentic baseline measurement of speeding behavior in these areas," the department said in a social media post this week."

The school zones included in the study were:

• Brunswick Lower School
• Central Middle School
• Eagle Hill School
• Glenville School
• Greenwich Academy
• Greenwich High School (two locations)
• North Street School

After the public was notified that speed cameras would be installed in various school zones, speeding violations immediately decreased to 15,319 events, "demonstrating a significant behavioral shift through awareness alone," police said.

Further, once enforcement began through the speed camera program, the number of speeding violations dropped to 2,863 events, police noted.

"From the initial pre-program study to active enforcement, Greenwich experienced a 92.2 percent reduction in speeding violations within monitored school zones," police said. "The program is designed to encourage safer driving habits, reduce dangerous speeding, and create a safer environment around Greenwich schools during times when students are active in school zones. The Greenwich Police Department remains committed to traffic safety and protecting the community through education, enforcement, and initiatives that save lives."

The speed camera program was paused in April, however.

The decision was made after the town said it received a number of complaints regarding the cameras. Also, it was determined that a public hearing and additional local approval were necessary before the program could begin.

The town held the required public hearing last week, and residents voiced concerns over privacy and data collection, and fines.

The full hearing can be viewed on YouTube.

With the public hearing requirement satisfied, the next step involves the Representative Town Meeting, which will meet in June to consider the speed camera program.

More information on the speed camera program can be found here.