The Banks County Sheriff’s Office in cooperation with the Banks County Board of Education, and Banks County Commissioners is adding camera equipped speed detection devices to the county school zones. The camera equipped speed detection system was recently approved for use by the Georgia Department of Transportation. This public safety program is being installed on Historic Homer Highway and on Georgia Highway 15 in the areas of Banks County High School and Banks County Middle School.
“Our school zone speed safety program for the middle and high schools started on Monday, January 25th which commenced our 30-day warning period,” stated Major Carissa McFaddin. “Even after adding a concentrated area of traffic enforcement in these zones, we continue to encounter people driving well above the speed limit. We continuously explore options to ensure motorists respect the law and the safety of our children. While there is the option of hiring additional deputies, this would be costly to the taxpayer and doesn’t necessarily mean that the deputy would be ever-present in our school zones. With that being said, we have found this speed camera solution fits in agreeably with our public safety strategies.”
“This project is strictly about ensuring the improvement of safety in our school zones,” stated Sheriff Carlton Speed. “I would rather see the lives of our citizens spared by drivers being more cautious and careful in our school zones than receive one dollar from enforcement fines.”
Phillip Bennett, Optotraffic – Georgia Representative stated, “We are honored to be chosen by Banks County to provide traffic safety enforcement services to keep their school children safe. The County has been a great partner and very progressive in the use of technology as a force multiplier for law enforcement. We look forward to working with Sheriff’s Office and County officials to ensure the safety benefits from this program are sustainable and meaningful.”
All fines collected will be used to improve school safety and security projects.