Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano on Friday announced on Twitter that he would forgive more than $2.4 million in fines that were issued in error after five school zone cameras, which were turned on without notifying the public, recorded drivers speeding through school zones on non-school days.
“I am declaring amnesty for the summer school tickets because too many tickets were issued in error and residents seemed unaware of the camera activation,” Mangano said on his official Twitter page.
Brian Nevin, a spokesman for Mangano, said more than 9,000 tickets were issued in error when five school district speed cameras recorded drivers speeding in school zones on non-school days, resulting in $784,560 in fines.
The county issued 30,108 valid tickets, according to Nevin, which resulted in more than $2.4 million in fines. Those tickets will also be forgiven, he said.
Mangano said that anybody who has already paid their ticket would be issued a refund by the Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos.
“If you have not paid yet, have fun ripping up your ticket,” Mangano added.
The state Legislature in April approved a law that would allow Nassau County to install one speed camera per school district.
The county has so far installed about 33 of the 56 cameras it was granted by the state, according to Nevin.
The cameras will record speeding violations in real time, without the need to have a police officer present in the area, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in February.
Previously, county police were required to physically witness a driver speeding to write a summons.
Nassau County Democrats say more needs to be done to notify the public of the camera’s presence around the county.
On Tuesday, Nassau County Legislator Dave Denenberg (D-Merrick) called on Mangano to provide more signs warning drivers of the presence of school zone cameras and when they would be recording activity near school zones.
“Without proper warning and notice that a school crossing is being monitored electronically the speed cameras are just simply about the revenue and not what the intention should have been, public safety,” Denenberg said.
He said the lack of notification of the school zone cameras being activated was a sign the program needed to be restructured and proposed that the county install flashing yellow lights warning drivers of the presence of a camera.
Denenberg also proposed the cameras only be in use from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and that tickets not be issued for speeding violations that occur on days when school is not in session.
“We need to roll this whole program out better and bring it back to the basics of what it should have always been about, public safety,” Denenberg said.
The proposals made by Denenberg were part of a proposed county bill that he filed with Nassau County Legislator Judith Jacobs (D-Woodbury) on Monday.
Nevin on Tuesday said in response to Denenberg’s proposals that “Denenberg approved these speed cameras and fails to understand that they will only operate from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on school days.”
“Legislator Denenberg is a day late and dollar short as yesterday the administration announced plans to seek flashing lights in school zones as to further protect children from speeding motorists,” Nevin added.
Reach reporter Anthony O’Reilly by e-mail at aoreilly@theislandnow.com, by phone at 516.307.1045 x203 or on Twitter @reilly_anthony. Also follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/theislandnow.
