Suffolk City to create traffic safety fund as camera program shows widespread declines in violations

Suffolk City officials on Thursday presented enforcement data they said show sustained reductions in speeding and red-light violations at multiple sites and said they will ask council to create a dedicated traffic safety fund after changes in state law.

Greg Benton, Suffolk City director of public works, told the council the automated traffic-enforcement program the city adopted in March 2023 is focused on safety and that the dollars collected are earmarked to reinvest in safety projects. “Every one of these projects is tied back to the mission of increasing safety,” Benton said.

Chief Bowie of the Suffolk Police Department walked members through location-by-location results, reporting double-digit and larger declines at many monitored sites. Bowie said the program has produced “measurable, sustained safety improvements” and listed device counts still in place: 12 school-zone cameras, 51 school-bus arm cameras and eight photo-enforced intersection cameras. “People are learning that the cameras are out there,” Bowie said, arguing the devices changed driver behavior in construction and school zones.

City Finance Director Stephanie Wells summarized how recent General Assembly amendments limit and structure how jurisdictions may use enforcement revenue. Wells said the statute requires cities to deposit these receipts into a dedicated local fund and restricts eligible uses to defined safety projects and program costs. “The funds shall be deposited in a local fund used solely for the planning, design, construction, implementation, etcetera,” Wells said. She told council the city will present an ordinance on the consent agenda to establish that traffic safety fund, with the city planning to use it for equipment, qualifying safety projects and direct program costs rather than commingling those receipts with the regular road-maintenance fund.

Council members pressed staff for follow-up analysis on several points. Council member Richter asked why citations spiked in April at one interchange; Chief Bowie said lane closures and changing traffic patterns likely drove a temporary rise. Several members raised recurring complaints at right-turn-on-red locations where drivers fail to stop behind the bar; staff agreed to review enforcement footage and verify stop-bar placement and signage. Council member Benning suggested adding small reminder signs at certain intersections to reduce mistaken violations; staff said they would evaluate signage and report back.

Mayor noted that 75–80% of citations issued since program inception were to non‑Suffolk residents and said that pattern reinforced the program's public-safety orientation rather than revenue generation. Benton and Wells reiterated that the public safety committee will continue to evaluate spending for compliance with state law and safety priorities.

Next steps: staff will return with footage- and trend-based follow-up on the intersections highlighted by council; an ordinance to create the traffic safety fund appears on the consent agenda for the council's regular meeting. The council did not take a formal vote on the fund at the work session.