By Laney Toliver Adele Henley ,
4 hours ago
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) - Panama City officials decided to remove the controversial RedZone speed cameras from school zones at the Tuesday night meeting.
Commissioners voted unanimously to remove the ordinance for the cameras, which record and report drivers going over a certain speed in nine school zones throughout Panama City.
Since the program began full enforcement in August, over 3,000 tickets have been issued to drivers for speeding while school was in session.
Commissioner Brian Grainger motioned to remove the program on behalf of Panama City Police Chief Mark Smith, who cited a lack of trust and confidence in RedSpeed due to administrative and equipment issues.
In his letter to commissioners, Chief Smith said he still believes speeding in the city's school zones is a big problem, a sentiment echoed by city commissioner Brian Grainger.
Grainger has been a staunch opponent of the redspeed contract.
When he made his motion Tuesday night to cancel the contract, he also said the city should instruct Chief Smith to consult with the district school officials and come up with a plan to better enforce speed limits in the city's school zon...