Vermont officials say staffing and legal limits stall work‑zone camera pilot

Vermont public safety officials told a legislative committee on April 30 that they cannot implement a pilot program to issue citations from work‑zone camera footage this construction season because of staffing shortfalls, administrative requirements and a legal barrier related to the Soldiers' and Sailors' relief protections.

Mandy Wooster, executive director of policy development for the Vermont Department of Public Safety, told the committee the administrative review process for each recorded incident — confirming deployment logs, examining images for workers, checking compliance documents and reviewing plate and speed data — is more complex than some testimony suggested. "This is not the end of the process," Wooster said, noting the statute requires that a Vermont civil violation complaint (VCVC) be "issued, sworn and affirmed by a law enforcement officer who inspected the recorded images and data." Wooster used a routine traffic stop to illustrate: she said a mundane stop can require roughly 7 to 10 minutes of officer time to complete paperwork and database entries.

That arithmetic led Wooster to highlight resource implications if vendor estimates of up to 1,000 incidents per 8‑hour period were realized. Using that figure, she said the paperwork and review would equate to roughly 133 staff hours per day — about 13 officers on 10‑hour shifts — "a significant draw on resources."

Jennifer Morrison, Vermont commissioner of public safety, echoed that the department supports work‑zone safety but framed the problem as one of resource allocation rather than willingness. "The issue is a very practical one of resource allocation," Morrison said, adding that patrol officers leave to answer 911 and other priority calls and that detailing officers to review footage would likely require overtime for which the department has no budget.

Colonel Matthew Birmingham, director of the Vermont State Police, described sustained staffing shortages and competing high‑priority duties. "We are currently at about 54 vacancies on our sworn staff of 323, which is about a 17% vacancy rate," Birmingham said, adding the department is filling shifts with overtime and has cut lower‑priority responses to preserve capacity for violent crimes and incidents involving victims.

Given those constraints, Morrison and Birmingham both urged the committee to consider non‑sworn or third‑party options for processing footage. Morrison suggested legislative or administrative changes — including amending how Soldiers' and Sailors' relief queries are handled — that would allow civilian staff or vendors to perform eligibility checks or issue penalties. "There are ways to skin the cat besides a VCVC," Morrison said, proposing alternatives such as fines or administrative penalties that could be issued by contractors or non‑sworn personnel and still carry consequences for nonpayment or failure to respond.

Committee members pressed on discretion and scale: several legislators said a narrow use of citations (for example, at higher speed thresholds or targeted times) could create deterrent effects without requiring the full theoretical processing load. Witnesses confirmed the pilot would involve three sites and that, with current procurement and contracting timelines, it is "likely" the program would miss the current construction season and be ready for the next.

Officials identified several potential near‑term workarounds discussed during the hearing: asking other law enforcement agencies that do not answer 911 calls to participate, contracting off‑duty officers already used for construction traffic control, or assigning light‑duty sworn staff temporarily if available. But every option raised limits: sheriff capacities vary by county, off‑duty contracts do not create an ongoing administrative review capacity, and injured or light‑duty officers are not a reliable staffing source.

The committee asked the Department of Public Safety to return with options. Wooster was named the point of contact and officials committed to "put our heads together" and provide 2–3 possible paths forward before the end of the following week. The committee did not take formal action during the hearing.

Why it matters: the pilot authorized in Act 135 aims to reduce speeds in active work zones to protect highway workers and motorists. Committee members and witnesses agreed cameras can change driver behavior, but the hearing laid out practical hurdles — staff time, legal requirements tied to the Soldiers' and Sailors' relief protections, procurement and contracting timelines — that currently block implementation.

The legislature will next await the Department of Public Safety's follow‑up options; absent quick fixes, officials said the earliest realistic launch would be next construction season.