Poquoson council adopts ordinance allowing school-bus stop-arm cameras

Poquoson City Council on a 7-0 vote adopted an ordinance adding a new section to the city code to authorize video monitoring systems on and in school buses to detect vehicles that illegally pass stopped school buses.

The move implements technology the police department and school division say will improve student safety on the way to and from school. Chief Cates told the council that Virginia Code §46.2-844(b)(2) allows localities to adopt ordinances permitting school divisions to install video monitoring systems on school buses and that the school system’s administrative staff wants to partner with a vendor called Bus Patrol.

Chief Cates said the system will activate exterior cameras when a bus’s flashers and stop arm are engaged so staff can verify violations and the vendor will handle citation processing. “They basically do all the work except my staff would have to verify, by looking at the videos that it was a violation, and Bus Patrol takes it from there,” he said. He told council the vendor will also provide upgraded interior recording and a live feed to allow an administrator to view activity on a bus in real time.

Council members asked whether the system connects to other data systems and whether the initial equipment cost would come from city funds. Chief Cates said there is “no connection whatsoever” to unrelated camera programs discussed in the news and that the vendor’s model will cover initial costs and recover them through fines from citations. "The vendor covers all initial costs. As violations occur ... they keep the money until the system is paid for. And then when it reaches a surplus level, it is then forwarded on to the school division," he said. Council members were told deployment would follow ordinance adoption, an MOU with the police department and vendor contracting, with realistic start timing of summer school or the next school year.

The ordinance amends Chapter 78 (Traffic and Motor Vehicles), Article II (Enforcement), by adding Section 78‑44, “Video monitoring systems in and on school buses.” The council approved the ordinance and the motion carried 7-0.

Council and staff said the intent is narrowly limited to enforcing stop‑arm violations and not to ticket other moving violations. Implementation details — including citation forms, signage, and the MOU between the school division, police department and vendor — will be worked out in follow-up documents and procedures.

Poquoson officials said the vendor will retain citation revenue until its costs are recouped, and any surplus thereafter would go to the school division. The council did not authorize additional city general‑fund spending for the camera purchase at the meeting.

The ordinance now becomes part of city code and staff will proceed with the contractual and procedural steps described at the council meeting.