Venice adopts automated school-zone speed enforcement; citations limited to 10+ mph over limit during school hours

The Venice City Council unanimously adopted an ordinance authorizing fixed automated speed detection systems in designated school zones, enabling the city to use vendor-operated cameras to issue civil citations to vehicles traveling 10 miles per hour or more over posted school-zone speed limits.

Police Chief Andy Lisonbee and Captain Lewis White briefed council that House Bill 657 (2023) authorizes school-zone automated enforcement in Florida and described the operational rules staff proposes: vendors install and maintain equipment and conduct public-notification work; the city must run a 30-day education-and-warning period before citations begin; and each alleged violation will be reviewed by a Venice Police Department employee before a citation is issued to guard against technological error or legitimate exemptions (for example, authorized emergency vehicles).

Captain White said the systems will operate on school days and be active for the school day plus 30 minutes before and after dismissal. White cited a short, recent field study showing hundreds of vehicles exceeding the threshold at Venice High School and Epiphany School during sampling days. He said the program is intended to enhance safety, not to be a "gotcha" enforcement tactic.

Citations are civil and, per state statute, do not carry driver-license points and are not reported to insurers. The staff presentation included a representative $100-penalty revenue breakdown: roughly $39 would come to the city for public-safety initiatives, about $21 to the vendor for processing (vendor share varies by contract), with remaining portions distributed by statute to state and school-related funds and the FDLE training fund. Staff said the vendor market commonly offers additional license-plate-reader equipment to law-enforcement partners as part of vendor agreements.

Council members asked about vendor return-on-investment and contract terms; White said some vendors might remove cameras if citation volume fell too low, but he and the chief said that outcome would indicate the program succeeded in changing driver behavior. Chief Lisonbee and Captain White noted cameras free officer time for other traffic safety priorities but said they expect to maintain an in-person police presence near schools for education and response.

Council voted 7-0 to adopt the ordinance authorizing school-zone speed detection systems and the associated administrative process. Staff said they will return with vendor contracts and specific site selections and will work with finance on allocation of the city's share of revenue for public-safety initiatives and school crossing-guard support.

(Details summarized from the June 10 council presentation by Venice Police Department staff.)