Vendor pitches lidar-based school-zone camera program as civil-enforcement tool

Ryan Moore, a representative of Blue Line Solutions, presented results from five-day speed studies at several La Verne-area schools and pitched a lidar-based automated school-zone photo enforcement program aimed at reducing speeding near campuses. Moore said the vendor’s study found thousands of vehicles in school zones during sample periods and reported that the system captured hundreds of drivers exceeding the limits; for one site he said, “we cut speeding down 87% of those 6 zones.”

Moore described the vendor’s proposed approach: radar-feedback signs and lidar cameras that record license-plate images when a vehicle exceeds an agreed threshold. He said citations would be civil violations under Tennessee Code Annotated §55-8-198, carry a $50 fine, and not affect insurance or driving records. Moore told the board the vendor provides equipment at no upfront cost and typically asks for a two-year contract term; citation revenue would be split with the city, with the vendor retaining 25% and the city receiving 25% per citation under the proposed model.

Board members asked operational and legal questions about calibration, image retention, dispute handling and jurisdiction. Vice Mayor Ngo and others asked whether the sample periods covered school hours; Moore said the vendor’s sampling was “all day” and confirmed some studies were taken during the school year. Chief Mays said the department would verify each citation before processing, and Moore said images would be retained up to 365 days and purged thereafter unless state law for another jurisdiction required otherwise.

City staff and board members requested contract clarifications before any vote: the mayor asked the city attorney and staff (Evan and Bruce were named in the discussion) to review ownership of images, the data-retention clause and whether a traffic study is required at each school before installation. Moore said a traffic study would be done for each site and that installation could begin months after contract approval, with a tentative timeline aiming for construction in October and full operation in January if the process moved quickly. The matter was pulled from the consent agenda for further review and redlines to the draft contract were requested.

The presentation included specifics about enforcement mechanics, civil-dispute options and collections: Moore said the vendor runs license plate checks against secure NCIC servers and that a certified officer must review each image before a citation is issued. Moore also described options for unpaid citations, including municipal collections in jurisdictions with stronger collection tools. The board did not vote; staff were directed to review and return a redlined contract for the next meeting.