Norwich council approves ordinance authorizing speed cameras after lengthy public hearing

Norwich City Council voted to adopt an ordinance authorizing automated traffic‑enforcement safety devices after a public hearing dominated by safety arguments and privacy concerns.

Supporters—including residents Larry Rice, Bob Moff and others—urged the council to act on persistent speeding and crash hot spots. Larry Rice told the council, "There is definitely a speeding problem in Norwich," and several speakers recounted local crashes and near‑misses. Deputy Chief Tom Lazero described operational safeguards, saying the cameras are triggered only when vehicles exceed a preset threshold and citing out‑of‑town examples: he said some jurisdictions have seen "an 85% reduction in speed in that area." He also told council that photographs focus on rear license plates and that data would be held for a limited period to allow adjudication.

Opponents raised concerns about vendor contracts, data access and civil‑enforcement procedures. Susan Topping warned the council that such systems "are leading to a mass surveillance system," and other residents urged testing traffic‑calming measures first and independent study of vendor practices. Questions from council probed thresholds, retention (the deputy chief described roughly a 60‑day retention while tickets are adjudicated), and the human review step before citations are mailed.

After discussion and council questions, the ordinance passed on a roll‑call vote, 6–1 (Alderwoman Hayes opposed). Council members said the ordinance includes a public notice period and traffic studies before camera deployment, and the police department said officers will screen incidents before citations are issued.

The council's action authorizes a framework for speed cameras, but implementation details—including vendor selection, specific camera locations, ticket levels and data‑management rules—remain to be settled in staff rulemaking and subsequent procurement.

What happens next: the city will proceed with the traffic‑study and public‑warning phases described by staff before any camera issues citations to vehicle owners.