BusPatrol cameras: One week, 1,100 illegal passes
The first week BusPatrol cameras went live on the School District of Lee County buses, more than 1,100 illegal passes were captured during the warning period.
District Spokesperson Rob Spicker said 261 of the more than 1,100 illegal passes that were captured, have been verified by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and more than 850 are still under review.
“Each passing, the Sheriff’s Office verifies as illegal will result in a warning letter to the registered owner of the car,” he said.
The 30-day advisory period began after a join announcement from Superintendent Dr. Denise Carlin, Sheriff Carmine Marceno and BusPatrol.
“We have a social media campaign this month with regular posts reminding drivers about the law, so they are prepared for enforcement,” Spicker said. “Many of our community partners are sharing these posts to help spread the word. We have a special page on our website devoted to BusPatrol with answers to some frequently answered questions.”
In addition, the message is shared on every school’s website banner directing families to the BusPatrol page.
“Our families are getting emails and flyers from the School District about the program as well,” he said. “Before enforcement starts in December, we will hold another media outreach event, send advisories to our parents, and multiple reminders on our social media.”
When enforcement begins Dec. 8, the illegal passing will result in a $225 citation.
“Our goal is to change behavior, so the message is start now before you risk a $225 citation,” Spicker said. “Every time a bus is illegally passed, the students getting on or off are put at risk. We would ask drivers to think about protecting children and coming to a stop when a bus has the stop arms extended and the lights flashing.”
He said according to BusPatrol, 90% of drivers who receive a citation never get a second one.
“Learning the lesson now will save drivers money, and more importantly, save lives,” Spicker said.
Each bus will have 11 new cameras installed with about half focusing on the outside of the bus to capture those illegal passings.
“They use proprietary Artificial Intelligence to identify passings that appear to break the law,” he said. “The video is sent to the Sheriff’s Office for review. If law enforcement determines a violation did occur, then a $225 citation will be issued.”
The other half of the cameras are located inside of the bus, which have upgraded the system prior to the BusPatrol system. Spicker said the BusPatrol cameras allow both the Sheriff’s Office and the school district to monitor buses in real time, just like they do at the schools.
“If there is disturbance, a parent trying to get on board, an accident, or any other situation, we immediately know what’s happening and can respond better,” he said.
The revenue from the citations, by law, must be used for the installation, operation, or maintenance of school bus infraction detection systems on school buses, including student transportation safety initiatives, driver recruitment and retention stipends, or other student transportation safety enhancement, Spicker said.
The message the district continues to spread is to take the initiative seriously.
“Students lives are at stake. Act now, stop when a bus is stopped. Don’t wait for a $225 citation to change your behavior,” he said.