Council approves expanding school-zone speed cameras to 18 schools

Tampa City Council voted to amend the city ordinance on school‑zone automated speed enforcement to change the list of designated schools from 13 to 18, adopting the expansion on second reading after staff and public presentations.

Deputy Chief Patrick Messmer of the Tampa Police Department told the council the updated list was driven by a recent speed study and is intended to produce a broader geographic distribution of cameras across the city. "There is a larger geographic distribution than the previous cameras," Messmer said, adding that the department had already begun permitting for six cameras that remain in both the old and new lists.

Supporters said the cameras target a narrow safety problem. Emily Hinsdale, president of the safe‑routes nonprofit Sidewalk Stompers, told the council the vote is a choice between keeping the cameras at 12 schools concentrated in East and West Tampa or dispersing them to 18 schools across all districts. "Over 6,000 people speeding more than 10 miles over a posted school's own speed limit in one day at one school," she said, citing the speed‑study results.

Deputy Chief Messmer and purchasing staff also addressed privacy and procurement concerns raised by residents. Messmer said camera video would be retained for 30 days and that license‑plate capture would be preserved only when associated with a violation. He added that the vendor for the city program has provided an affidavit promising not to share camera data with third parties and that the city’s contract and state law prohibit such sharing.

Opponents and some residents pressed broader questions about surveillance and private companies profiting from enforcement. Brock Mangus, who said he is affiliated with Florida Digital Rights Council, said he respected the safety argument but worried about incentives for a private firm headquartered outside Florida. "What incentive does this firm have to actually stop speeding when they're making money off violations?" he asked.

Council members debated both privacy protections and equity of camera placement. Councilman Carlson said the expanded map reduces the appearance that citations are concentrated in particular neighborhoods and emphasized the city should ensure funds from citations are used for school‑safety infrastructure. The ordinance carried on second reading; a roll call recorded at the meeting noted at least one dissenting vote.

The amended ordinance directs staff to install and operate cameras at the newly designated school locations, subject to the existing contract and the city's data‑retention and sharing restrictions. Council members said further discussion will follow about how citation proceeds are allocated.

The ordinance was approved on second reading; the measure will take effect according to the language in the final adopted ordinance and pending any administrative steps needed to activate additional camera sites.