Nassau County Democrats call for halt to speed cameras

Nassau Democratic minority legislators called on the Republican administration and majority legislators to stop the school speed camera program immediately at a gathering outside the Nassau County Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building on Monday.
Referring to the cameras some of which have been in operation since August as a “gotcha” program, the legislators and Democratic Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams said: “Our constituents, pedestrians and motorists are being taken advantage of, and the program was rolled out poorly,” Abrahams said. “It is so important that we suspend this program. We need to regain the trust of our residents in Nassau County.”
Safety is important, and drivers need to understand that there are speed limits, but Legislator Judy Jacobs (D-Westbury) also believes that the program needs to be stopped immediately.
“We are saying to the government that they need to suspend the program now until we can do it right,” she said. “Check locations, check signage and check the flashing lights. If we’re really interested in safety, stop it now. Enough money is being made from the speed cameras.”
Legislator Carrie Solages (D-Elmont) said that the notice drivers received about speeding in school zones was insufficient.

“We want to promote safety with our schools, but I think there needs to be proper due process,” he said. “The due process has been violated and I’m concerned about the notice. There is currently no process to appeal these tickets. Drivers who are not as familiar with an area are getting ticketed. Some of my constituents can’t even buy groceries, as they are using that money toward paying off their tickets.”
The Democratic legislators said they all originally voted in favor of installing the cameras, but felt that the program they’d voted for was far different from its implementation.
“The Democrats unanimously approved the speed camera program but have refused to provide the funding for, and have delayed, the installation of additional flashing lights,” said Norma Gonsalves, presiding officer of the Nassau County Legislature. “Due to this delay by the Democrats, the Majority Delegation has requested that such lights be installed as soon as possible using our Community Reconstruction Program funds.”
Jacobs would not say whether motorists would be refunded if the program were to be abolished. “I am not able to speak to that, but we can definitely ask for that,” she said.