Red light, speed cameras making a return to Trotwood

TROTWOOD — The City of Trotwood last shuttered its red light and speed camera program in 2018. Now, the cameras are making a comeback in that community.

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Trotwood first started its automated red light and speed camera program in 2006. The cameras have been turned off twice since then as local municipalities have sparred with the state in court over how and whether automated traffic cameras can operate in the Buckeye State. Some of those legal battles have made it all the way to the Ohio Supreme Court. The state legislature has passed multiple bills that have become law over the last decade that focus on regulating the cameras in Ohio.

At one point, the cities of Dayton, Springfield, West Carrollton, Trotwood and Middletown all operated automated traffic cameras in their jurisdictions around the Miami Valley.

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But now, only the City of Dayton has a traffic camera program locally. Currently, Dayton Police are only operating mobile speed trailer units in school zones at multiple locations around the city. DPD officers also have the ability to use handheld devices.

Trotwood’s cameras have been offline since the city last unplugged their program in 2018, according to Police Chief Erik Wilson. The fixed traffic cameras are in positions around the city, including the intersection of Turner Road and Salem Avenue, as well as along North Union Road, Olive Road and Free Pike.

The cameras will be making a comeback in Trotwood in a matter of weeks.

“Our community is very supportive of them,” Wilson said. “I’m asked at least once a week, ‘Hey, Chief, when are we getting the cameras turned back on? Because the speed is out of control.’ We get emails all the time in different neighborhoods of, ‘Hey we have speed going on on out street.’ And so this is just one piece of our apparatus to help combat speeding and reckless driving in the City of Trotwood.”

“We’ve taken it through (Trotwood city) council already,” Wilson said. “And they have approved the changes that are consistent with the new state law requirements.”

The biggest difference now is that state law requires the appeals process of citations to be heard in a municipal court, instead of by an administrative officer with the city. “It’s still a civil violation,” the chief said. “As opposed to you dealing with an attorney as our magistrate here, you’ll go through our municipal court.”

The City of Trotwood will be utilizing Montgomery County Municipal Court’s Western Division in New Lebanon for the appeals process.

Once a camera catches a violation, Trotwood Police verify that the violation is valid at their offices before it’s sent to the court system to start the appeals process.

Automated traffic cameras are a polarizing issue across the Miami Valley and the rest of Ohio. Some drivers don’t mind them. Other people despise the idea of the fixed cameras spying on their speedometers.

Opponents of the camera programs – from citizens in our communities, to state lawmakers at the statehouse in Columbus – have always argued the cameras are nothing more than a cash grab for local municipalities.

News Center 7 asked Trotwood Police what they’d say to that criticism of traffic camera programs.

“Well, no it is not (a cash grab),” Wilson said. “It’s definitely about the safety here. We can show that when the cameras are on, our crashes go down. And really that’s what it is about. I’m going to do everything in my power to have this system up and running. With the new processes, the fines are still going to be there but some of that money is now going to be diverted into the court. I have no problem with that. I’m not out here to make a buck. That’s not what the mission of the police department is. The mission of the police department is to promote safety … to keep the visitors and citizens of our community safe.”

Wilson said the red light and speed cameras could be turned on as soon as March 1, with a four-week grace period for drivers. News Center 7 will stay in touch with Trotwood officials and let you know when the city sets a definitive date for bringing the cameras back online.

Cox Media Group