Lakeland Police Officer DeAngelo Anthony uses a laser device to check the speed of oncoming cars and trucks on Ariana Street as students roll past on the sidewalk outside of Lakeland Christian School.
Lakeland Police Officer DeAngelo Anthony uses a laser device to check the speed of oncoming cars and trucks on Ariana Street as students roll past on the sidewalk outside of Lakeland Christian School. | Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNow
2-minute read

Plans for radar-equipped cameras in Lakeland school zones are speeding along.

City commissioners voted 6-0 on Monday to approve the installation of 14 speed-detection cameras outside nine schools. 

“This is one of the first initiatives coming out of Vision Zero,” Traffic Operations Manager Tess Schwartz said, referring to the city’s multi-pronged plan to eliminate pedestrian fatalities.

The basics: The cameras will be provided by Arizona-based Verra Mobility — the same company behind Lakeland’s red-light cameras and Polk County Public Schools’ bus-mounted stop arm cameras. 

However, penalties and implementation are a bit different, partly because of the 2023 state law that authorized automated school zone enforcement.

  • School zone citations will carry a $100 fine, compared with $158 for running a red light and $225 for passing a stopped school bus.
  • There will be a warning period before ticketing begins.
  • All of the school zones getting cameras have flashing yellow lights. The cameras will only operate when the flashers are active, usually 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after the school day.
  • Signs will notify drivers of cameras ahead.
  • Tickets will only be issued to people going more than 10 miles per hour over the posted speed limit.
  • A human will review each violation before citations are mailed.
  • Offenders will not get any points on their driver’s licenses, and insurance companies cannot use violations to raise rates.

What’s next: The contract with Verra Mobility will come before the City Commission for approval, likely on June 16. 

The city hopes to have the cameras in place by Oct. 1, although Schwartz cautioned that permitting may influence the timeline.

The schools: Commissioners said they might want to add more schools soon, including Rochelle School of the Arts. However, for now, they are starting with the nine that have the most egregious speeding problems.

Schwartz said there are an average of 847 violations per day at these schools when flashers are active:

  • Lincoln Academy
  • Crystal Lake Elementary
  • Crystal Lake Middle 
  • Philip O’Brien Elementary
  • Southwest Middle
  • North Lakeland Elementary
  • Lakeland Senior High School
  • Lakeland Highlands Middle
  • Sleepy Hill Elementary

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Cindy's reporting for LkldNow focuses on Lakeland city government. Previously, she was a crime reporter, City Hall reporter and chief political writer for newspapers including the Albuquerque Journal and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. She spent a year as a community engagement coordinator for the City of Lakeland before joining LkldNow in 2023. Reach her at cindy@lkldnow.com or 561-212-3429.

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