Residents and officials debate school‑zone speed cameras, test period and use of fines for safety projects

Panama City residents and staff on Saturday discussed a proposed pilot of automated speed enforcement in school zones, endorsing the goal of protecting children while asking for narrower spending rules and a strong public‑education component.

Supporters said the technology could reduce dangerous speeds. “I love the idea. I think that anything we can do to decrease speed in school zones is a good idea,” resident Brian Grama said.

City staff and elected officials framed the program as a one‑year test focused on reducing dangerous speeding through a mix of signage, striping and enforcement, not a straight revenue source. A staff member said a portion of fines is governed by state law and “most of it does go to public safety.” The transcript did not identify the specific statute or section.

Speakers emphasized using data collected by cameras for targeted enforcement and engineering changes rather than solely issuing tickets. One participant proposed a “positive behavioral change” campaign paid for with camera revenue; another urged using the cameras to gather data to place officers at known problem times and locations.

Officials pressed for equity in where improvements are installed, noting some neighborhoods lack sidewalks and safe crossings. Several speakers said the desired outcome is fewer tickets through effective signage and walkability improvements rather than increased mail‑in fines.

No formal vote or motion was taken at the workshop. Staff described next steps as program design and public deliberation, including an evaluation after the one‑year test.

Officials asked the public for feedback on sign types and education campaigns and said they would return with proposals describing revenue flows, locations for initial deployment and performance measures.

Ending: The discussion at the workshop centered on balancing safety gains with fairness and transparency. Officials said the city would design the pilot with data collection, an education effort and an evaluation at the end of the test year, and residents urged that a large share of any revenue be spent on pedestrian‑safety improvements in school zones.