Police chief urges caution on traffic-enforcement cameras, says speed not main driver of crashes

South Windsor’s police chief told the town council that the state law enabling automated traffic-enforcement cameras requires a cautious, data-driven approach and significant administrative work before the town should apply.

Chief Lindstrom (Police Chief) summarized the 2023 public act that allows municipalities to operate red-light and speed cameras with three-year DOT approvals and statutory reporting and said the town must use any fine revenue for transportation mobility and infrastructure. He said the program’s rules — including minimum thresholds and appeal processes — create potential due-process and vendor-presentation pitfalls that other towns have faced.

Lindstrom walked the council through South Windsor’s crash statistics for calendar year 2025 and related analyses. “In calendar year 2025, in town of South Windsor, we had 403 car accidents. Of those 403, 340 were property-damage-only and 63 were motor vehicle accidents with injuries,” he said, adding that the town recorded no roadway fatalities in 2025. He and staff compared those data to locations of citizen complaints and found the two sets do not always align.

The chief showed a week-long traffic count on Route 5 near Glendale that sampled roughly 120,000–135,000 vehicles and found an average speed in the high 40s and an 85th percentile of about 56 mph in a posted 50 mph zone. He said the legislation prevents enforcement for motorists within 10 mph of the limit, so tickets require driving at least 10 mph over the posted limit. Lindstrom warned that municipalities may face pressure to lower thresholds if the town views the program as a revenue source rather than a safety tool.

Councilors pressed him for operational details. Lindstrom described the administrative footprint required by other towns: a sworn officer to review citations, civilian staff to administer the program, and outside or rotating hearing officers/attorneys for appeals. He cited Middletown’s experience — where a high volume of camera citations produced pushback — and vendor shares (a vendor fee that took a large portion of revenue in some programs) as reasons to scrutinize data and contracts closely.

Lindstrom concluded by urging a measured pace: gather more local efficacy evidence, study how other municipalities implemented oversight and appeals, and ensure calibration, vendor accountability and community engagement before committing to a program application to DOT.

The council asked staff to provide further data and confirmed they expect more information before any formal application or ordinance would be considered.