North Kingstown police push automated enforcement; council asks staff to solicit vendors

Police Chief John Urban and Captain Nick Salois told the North Kingstown Town Council on Feb. 10 that the town’s new traffic unit has documented rising traffic contacts and recommended exploring automated enforcement and targeted speed cameras for problem corridors.

Captain Salois, who leads the unit, said traffic‑related contacts increased from about 5,000 in 2023 to about 7,100 in 2024 as officers expanded traffic‑safety work. He described tools the department uses — mobile speed‑display trailers, data‑collecting sign boards and so‑called “stealth boxes” — and said they capture data the department uses to deploy officers when and where problems occur.

“Traffic contacts cover a lot of activity — it’s not just issuing tickets,” Salois said. “It’s making stops, sending warnings and educating the public.” He told the council he found that flashy signs alone had limited long‑term effect unless paired with periodic enforcement, and that automated enforcement (speed or red‑light cameras) could address high‑volume problems that patrols can’t staff continuously.

Rhode Island law currently limits automated speed enforcement to school zones; the presenters said automated traffic‑signal enforcement (red‑light cameras) and other vendor‑operated systems are treated differently and require permitting. The department reported school‑zone studies showing high rates of threshold‑exceeding drivers — one school‑zone study showed roughly 77% of measured drivers exceeded the enforcement threshold chosen for analysis — prompting the recommendation to pilot automated approaches where state law allows.

Daniel Villar, director of health and safety at Electric Boat, told the council the company supports stepped‑up enforcement at Quonset and on Roger Williams Way, citing employee safety concerns. “The vast majority of them support this effort,” Villar said, noting Electric Boat has invested in crosswalks and fencing at busy locations.

Council members asked about costs, data privacy and whether vendors would bear upfront expenses. Presenters said some vendor models provide equipment and initial installation at no upfront municipal cost while taking a percentage of fines; they also emphasized signage and an initial warning period in many deployments. The council asked staff to solicit specifications, reach out to potential vendors, and return with contract options and a plan for public notice and hearings.

Next steps: staff will collect vendor proposals and return to the council with recommended contracts and a public‑outreach plan before any enforcement is implemented.