There’s been talk among town officials of installing safety cameras to curb speeding drivers around town. But there are lingering questions about the cameras, mainly concerning privacy issues.
“They feel a little Big Brother,” said Selectman Nicholas D’Addario.
The prospect of installing speed cameras in town was discussed at a Sept. 5 Board of Selectman meeting. The cameras capture images of license plates, dates, times and locations of vehicles that exceed the speed limit or run through red light signals and automatically mail citations to the vehicles’ owners. No police officer is needed to issue the tickets, but the Easton Police Department would oversee the tickets.
Easton residents from all areas of town are concerned with speeding drivers. Many addressed the issue at a July 18 selectmen meeting attended by Police Chief Richard Doyle.
First Selectman David Bindelglass is not in favor of the speed cameras. Selectman Kristi Sogofsky prefers looking at data about the effectiveness of another $5,000 rural road enforcement grant installment the police department received to curb speeding before considering the safety cameras.
Christina Clark, a Burr Street resident, prefers speed humps over safety cameras.
“Speed humps are a better option because they slow cars down,” she said. “People who get tickets may not pay them.”
Clark has lived on Burr Street for decades and has watched it transform from a barely used street to a cut-through route for drivers to get to Bethel, Danbury and Fairfield. Last year Burr Street residents raised concerns about speeding drivers at a Police Commission meeting.
D’Addario said he would like to consider other proposals that are less intrusive. “Maybe flashing stop signs and more signage with speed limits around town like on the telephone pole on Morehouse Road where speeding drivers have hit,” said D’Addario. He suggested a listening session for residents where town officials can get feedback as another option.
If Easton were to opt for speed cameras it would have to submit a proposal to the state Department of Transportation justifying the location of the cameras and also adopt a town ordinance. Easton would rent the cameras from an outside vendor who would operate the system that generates videos or photos of speeding drivers.
State lawmakers made safety speed cameras legal for municipalities last year.
