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Rotterdam adopts school bus stop‑arm camera law after presentation from vendor and police support
Summary
The board unanimously enacted a local law to authorize a stop‑arm camera program after a vendor presentation and Police Chief Brown’s endorsement; officials said the program would cost the town and school districts nothing and include a 30‑day warning period before fines.
Rotterdam’s Town Board unanimously enacted Local Law No.12 of 2024 on July 10 to authorize a school bus stop‑arm camera program that assigns operator or owner liability when drivers illegally pass stopped school buses.
A Bus Patrol representative presented the system to the board and community, describing license‑plate recognition, AI‑assisted video review and a human second review to ensure citations would hold up in court. He said the company provides a 30‑day warning period in which video clips are distributed but fines are not assessed, and that the program is offered at no cost to the town or school districts. “We’re not in the business of issuing tickets for the sake of issuing tickets,” the presenter said, adding that 98% of people cited through the program do not reoffend.
Chief Brown, who the board invited to comment, said he had met with Bus Patrol and both school districts and expressed full support, calling it a necessary public‑safety tool that makes enforcement of stop‑arm violations more practicable. The board then moved to adopt the local law as Chapter 266b; roll‑call shows unanimous consent.
What the law does: the local law establishes the stop‑arm camera program and a liability framework for vehicle owners or operators who fail to stop for a bus displaying a red visual signal and stop arm. The record shows the town will coordinate review of video and citations with local law enforcement, which retains final discretion on citation handling.
Next steps: the board directed that remaining implementation details be worked out with the school districts and police; the vendor said it would remain available after the meeting to answer residents’ questions.
