JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Duval County school police have reviewed more than 4,000 driver citations during the first month of enforcing the district’s new stop-arm bus camera program.
The AI-powered program, a collaboration between the district and BusPatrol America, began issuing warnings to drivers who illegally pass a stopped school bus in April.
Data from DCPS obtained by Action News Jax shows that between May 1 and May 31, Duval County school police reviewed 4,012 citations. Of those citations, roughly 80% — 3,197 — were approved.
That number equates to a little more than 100 citations per day.
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BusPatrol Chief Growth Officer, Steve Randazzo, says the number of citations approved in May is slightly higher than in comparable cities they serve in Florida.
“Duval County is higher, but that’s also a factor of just being a lot of cars, a lot of people, a lot of congestion, and it’s a really new program,” Randazzo said. “It’s also one of the largest school bus fleets in the country.”
Randazzo says there are roughly 950 school buses in Jacksonville equipped with the stop-arm cameras.
“It’s a bit jarring, the first few months, and we have to continue to get the word out,” Randazzo said. “I will say it gets better over time.”
The location with the most citations is Blanding Blvd in Cedar Hills, taking both the #1 and #2 spots in the top 20. Between the 3800 and 3900 blocks, drivers were issued 89 citations.
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Local businesses along Blanding Blvd told Action News Jax that when school was in session, they saw cars zoom past the school buses every day.
Amanda Cleary, who works in the area, says parents will drive into a nearby parking lot up to an hour before the school bus arrives to make sure their children are safe.
“You hear blowing the horn, you hear the bus driver screaming through the window, ‘Stop!’ and these cars are just going by,” Cleary said. “The kids are already halfway in front of the bus when this stuff happens.”
She says kids of all ages ride these buses, from elementary school age to teenagers.
“I feel like it shouldn’t be a citation; it should be like jail time,” Cleary said. “These are people’s kids.”
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Another local, Sydney Lopez, is also a huge supporter of the new program.
“If my child was hit because somebody wasn’t paying attention, I’m going to want to know who, what, when, where, and why,” Lopez said. “Something else might happen after that, but we won’t talk about that.”
DCPS says the high number of citations along Blanding Blvd may be due to the roadway’s four-lane configuration with a center turn lane.
“It is possible that some drivers are unaware they are required to stop in this scenario,” DCPS shared in an email. “Public education is an important component of this program, which is why the initial rollout included a month of warning citations rather than fines.”
If you disagree with a citation issued through this program, the school district says you can appeal the ticket through the Department of Administrative Hearings.
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