Dayton to place speed and red-light cameras in every active school zone, traffic supervisor says

The Dayton Police Department’s traffic supervisor told residents the city is expanding its photo-enforcement program so that every active school zone in Dayton will have a speed camera, and any school-zone intersection with a traffic signal will have a red-light camera.

The presentation explained the program’s primary goal is safety, not revenue: "This program is about protecting people," the traffic supervisor said, adding that the effort is focused on changing dangerous driving behavior and reducing crashes involving children.

City officials framed the expansion as an equity move. The supervisor said the program previously covered about 12 school zones and will increase to 32 locations (approximately 64 lanes of travel) so that "no school is more important or less important than another" and every active 20 mph school zone during school hours will be covered.

Officials said the city does not purchase camera equipment; a vendor supplies the systems and is compensated by fees tied to violations. When asked about the city’s direct investment, the traffic supervisor said he was not aware of a specific dollar figure for the municipal outlay.

On legality, the supervisor told the audience Dayton defended the program in state court and "won in 2017," citing home-rule authority as the underlying basis; he said the city follows statutory criteria and that a certified police officer reviews every citation for accuracy before a notice is issued.

The Traffic Supervisor described how the system works for motorists: a notice of liability is sent to the vehicle’s registered owner with photos and a PIN to view video evidence on a vendor website. Recipients have three options: admit liability and pay the fine; nominate another driver; or contest the notice in court. "It's much like receiving a parking ticket," the supervisor said, adding that the citation is civil and does not add points to a driver’s license.

The supervisor named the current photo-enforcement speeding fine as $85, a rate he said has not changed since 2003; he contrasted that with a typical pulled-over highway speeding citation, which he said might carry a higher fine plus license points. He emphasized signage and officer oversight: camera locations will be clearly signed in advance, officers inspect active zones and verify radar and camera functioning, and program administrators perform on-site inspections.

When asked about protecting older students at a transit hub served by RTA buses, the supervisor characterized that as a different safety question outside the narrow scope of school-zone photo enforcement and said he could not speak in detail about those plans.

The Traffic Supervisor closed by reiterating the program’s intent to reduce fatal and serious-injury crashes, noting speed is the department’s leading cause of crashes, and said the cameras are intended as an enhancement to—not a replacement for—traditional traffic enforcement by officers. He then took additional questions from attendees.

The presentation included a resident petition example (South Smithville Road) as evidence of community concern about speeding; officials said citizen requests and crash trends help guide mobile camera deployments and site selection.