We believe Youngstown officials and Blue Line Solutions of Tennessee were banking on the fact that it would be hard for anyone to question the motivation behind newly erected speed cameras in school zones.

After all, it’s all about keeping our kids safe, right?

Apparently that’s not the only motivation.

By the looks of things, it’s just as much about money as it is about safety.

We say that with much certainty based on new discussions about the mounted school zone cameras. You see, these cameras won’t just be ticketing during the limited hours most motorists might expect — the times when students are coming and going at the beginning and end of the school day.

Instead, the cameras will be activated on school days all day and into the evening. Cameras will begin ticketing early in the morning and lasting until 6 p.m. every school day.

While we don’t believe the speed cameras are necessary at all, we really don’t believe they need to operate into the evening.

Motorists have generally become accustomed to reducing speed during school hours, particularly the two hours in the morning and two hours in the mid-afternoon.

To be fair, at least the 6 p.m. cutoff is three hours earlier than previously announced plans to keep the cameras running and fining motorists until 9 p.m.

Hours after The Vindicator published a story outlining those 9 p.m. plans, police Chief Carl Davis clarified the time at Thursday’s council safety committee meeting. The chief said cameras would stop fining in school zones at 6 p.m., not 9 p.m., on school days. He described earlier comments about ending at 9 p.m. “missteps.”

The school speed limit of 20 mph will be enforced during the two-hour morning time when kids are going to school and the two-hour afternoon time when they are leaving.

In between and after school ends, the speed limit returns to its normal limit, which is either 25 or 35 mph.

Those exceeding the limit by at least 6 mph between the opening of the schools until 6 p.m. on days with classes will be cited between $100 and $150, mailed to the owner of the automobile.

The city legislation approved Nov. 15 by council doesn’t specifically address times the cameras can be used. It states, in part: “The selection of locations where automated cameras are placed and the enforcement of this section shall be made on the basis of sound professional traffic engineering and law enforcement judgments, as approved by the chief of police.”

Blue Line Solutions, a Chattanooga, Tenn., company, finalized a deal with the city last May for unmanned speed cameras in 16 school zones.

Frankly, we suspect it’s this private out-of-state company that could be driving the financial potential of the cameras and possibly also the impetus to operate cameras after school is out each day. You see, for every fine collected, Blue Line Solutions, which owns and maintains the cameras, gets 35 percent. Youngstown gets the rest.

Under Ohio law, Youngstown may use its share of the speed camera fines for only school safety resources, like improvements to school zones and nearby crosswalks.

Consider this: Over time, these cameras stand to remove millions of dollars from the pockets of local residents in an already stressed local economy, sending much of it to a private company in Tennessee.

We call that policing for profit.

Last week, Lt. Robert Gentile, head of Youngstown police’s accident investigation and traffic unit, stressed, “The whole idea is to have people slow down for the safety of children.”

But we believe if city officials and police officers feel so strongly about the dangers of speeding, then why have they not taken a more pro-active approach before now? Here’s an idea. Increase patrols using marked police cruisers a few hours a day in Youngstown school zones. Start pulling over motorists and writing tickets on the spot.

We suspect it wouldn’t take long for word to spread and for motorists to slow down — not to mention that traffic stops are a good starting point for more in-depth police work.

Let us be clear. We do not endorse driving unsafely or speeding, especially in school zones. We do believe, however, there are better ways of slowing motorists. Unmanned speed cameras that have the potential of extracting millions of dollars from our already struggling local economy is not the solution.

editorial@vindy.com

SCRIPTURE

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:6 NKJV