Public safety committee keeps automated traffic-enforcement discussion after hearing as residents raise equity, privacy and cost concerns

A public hearing on automated traffic enforcement safety devices (ATSED) on Oct. 6 drew more than a dozen residents who urged the city to delay or reject installation of red‑light and speed cameras, citing concerns about privacy, financial burden and whether cameras address root causes of crashes.

The hearing, held before the New London Public Safety Committee, closed after public comment; committee leadership said they will continue the matter in committee and schedule a follow‑up meeting with the police chief and, if possible, the vendor on Oct. 20 to answer technical and operational questions.

Residents who spoke at length said the devices would create a surveillance system while failing to address the causes of many local crashes. “A camera cannot address the human safety crisis,” said John Kirkland (71 Stewart Avenue), who argued impaired driving — not speed alone — was the core issue and called the cameras “a regressive tax.” Several other…