College Park meeting updates enforcement: truck inspections, noise and stop-sign camera pilots, National Night Out plans

City of College Park officials and Prince George's County contract officers used the July 7 Public Safety meeting to review enforcement tools and community programs, including commercial-vehicle inspections, county-run noise-camera pilots and the status of city stop-sign camera requests.

Contract officer Adi Ciccolleti said certified truck inspectors working secondary employment for the city can stop and inspect commercial vehicles under the state’s transportation authority, issue Maryland citations and place vehicles out of service when violations are found. Ciccolleti estimated the department has “about five officers” certified to perform commercial-vehicle inspections during contract duty and said officers regularly cite overweight vehicles and mechanical failures; those enforcement actions can lead to impound and towing fees, he said.

Council members and residents asked whether the city could press the Maryland General Assembly for more frequent safety inspections for commercial vehicles; Mayor Kabir said he would reach out to state delegation member Mary Lehman to discuss possible legislation. Ciccolleti remained neutral on legislative politics and said enforcement of commercial-vehicle safety is already an active, ongoing part of county and local operations.

On technology and enforcement, staff said Prince George’s County has deployed a limited pilot of noise-enforcement devices and that the county may operate devices at two locations on a rotating basis; council members requested confirmation whether the pilot allows two or three devices. Director Coker and staff said the city has submitted site requests for five stop-sign camera locations and those requests are under county review through the county attorney and legislative group.

Community engagement and training were also discussed. Staff and residents highlighted the Citizens Police Academy and encouraged participation; county staff said the most recent academy graduated 32 participants and the city will promote upcoming classes. Mayor Kabir announced that the city will hold a central National Night Out event on Tuesday, Aug. 5, at College Park Woods and staff said neighborhood-level events can still take place with city support.

Why it matters: these enforcement and technology items set the framework for how the city and county will allocate limited enforcement tools (noise cameras, stop-sign cameras) and how they coordinate on truck safety. Council members described persistent neighborhood concerns—noise, dangerous trucks and traffic enforcement—that the city and county must balance through pilot programs, reviews and legislative options.

No formal actions or votes were taken on these items during the meeting; staff indicated follow-ups with county partners and the state delegation would continue.