Poulsbo mayor defends new Viking Avenue traffic camera, cites 28 August collisions

Mayor Becky opened the retreat by updating the council on the city's new traffic camera on Viking Avenue and presenting August dispatch data that she said justify the program. She said the city logged 1,291 calls for service in August — an average of about 41.65 calls per day — and that traffic and parking incidents totaled 491 for the month, including 28 collisions. "So if anyone gives you any questions about why we're doing traffic cameras, this is why," she said.

The mayor stressed the cameras' safety rationale and described staffing costs for patrols: the initial cost to hire and equip a new officer is roughly $317,000, she said, arguing that automated enforcement can free officers for higher‑value work. When council member Doug asked whether camera images could aid hit‑and‑run investigations, the mayor said the system is limited to traffic enforcement tied to license plates: citations are sent to the registered vehicle owner and the cameras are not intended to identify occupants. Council member Rick condemned online calls to vandalize equipment, calling such encouragement "incredibly disappointing" and urging residents not to commit new crimes to avoid enforcement. "The encouragement to vandalize the cameras once they go in, that is incredibly disappointing," Rick said.

Why it matters: The council is weighing the operational tradeoffs of automated traffic enforcement, including contract costs, whether revenues will cover vendor payments, and the program's legal limits and public perception. Staff said the city committed to roughly $160,000 per year for the camera program and will monitor revenues and incidents as drivers adjust.