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Chief Morris asks council to issue RFP for improved automated‑traffic enforcement after mixed results
Summary
After years of fluctuating net results from automated traffic cameras, Chief Dave Morris told the council the department has improved revenue performance but still dismisses many flagged citations because of poor imaging or out‑of‑state tags; he requested authorization to issue a competitive RFP for vendors with better low‑light imaging and pricing models.
Police Chief Dave Morris on March 26 recommended that Cheverly issue a competitive request for proposals (RFP) to replace or improve its automated traffic‑enforcement technology, saying historical contracts and low‑light imaging problems have caused large swings in revenue and limited enforcement value.
Morris provided historical figures showing earlier years with net operating losses when lookup and vendor fees exceeded the town’s collections. The chief said contract language and technology limitations produced thousands of dismissed citations because vendors generated images the department could not validate in court. “We are dismissing thousands of citations because of the way the contract is written,” Morris said, adding that the town is paying lookup and administrative fees for citations that cannot be legitimately pursued.
Since July 2023, Morris said adjustments with a new vendor and internal changes have moved the program toward positive revenue; he cited one recent month’s share to the town of $161,000 as a sign of the program’s potential. But program manager Corporal Becker explained that nighttime images of darker vehicles and out‑of‑state plates often produce assignments the department cannot validate, creating reject rates and vendor lookup fees for unusable photos.
Morris asked council to authorize staff to post the RFP — the draft has been reviewed by the town attorney — and to return with competitive proposals for technology that performs better in low light and offers alternative pricing structures. Town Administrator Mr. Galloway described the March 26 action primarily as notification and said staff will make a formal recommendation after evaluating proposals.
Next steps: staff will release the RFP as reviewed by the town attorney, accept vendor proposals, and return to council with recommended vendors and pricing for approval; no binding procurement decision was made at this meeting.
