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Council accepts state law enabling school-bus stop-arm cameras; orders police to report usage data
Summary
The council accepted Chapter 339 of the 2024 Massachusetts Acts to permit installation of school-bus violation detection systems and referred a request for post-implementation data reporting from the police chief to the Committee of the Whole.
The Salem City Council voted to accept Chapter 339 of the Massachusetts Acts of 2024 on Jan. 23, allowing the city to install and operate school-bus stop-arm camera systems to enforce violations of Massachusetts General Laws chapter 90, sections 14 and 14C.
Councilors noted the school committee must also approve the use of cameras on bus stop arms. Councilors described the system as a video-based enforcement tool: recorded footage would be sent to the police department, where staff would review potential violations, issue notices and handle appeals under normal ticketing procedures.
Separately, Councilor Marcello filed a late-file order asking the police chief to submit a report describing the number of enforcement tickets mailed, number appealed and the outcomes, and the number of flagged violations that were not enforceable (with reasons). That report was ordered to be submitted six months after the start of video enforcement and again at 12 months, with the matter referred to the Committee of the Whole for review and discussion.
Councilors said they would later seek police data to evaluate implementation and enforcement outcomes.
