Albany police chief: School zone speeders … You’ve been warned

ALBANY — The Albany drivers who have been complaining of late to local officials after receiving mailed warnings about speeding in school zones during the hour before schools start and the hour after they let out have officially been put on notice.

When school starts in the fall, the warning notices currently being sent to speeding drivers will become citations, Albany Police Department Chief Michael Persley warned Thursday.

The city of Albany purchased a license plate recognition system and installed cameras recently in four local school zones, and the company that manages the system is sending out warnings to drivers who have exceeded the speed limit in those zones. The warnings will continue through Friday, when school is out for the summer, Persley said.

“Starting in the fall, people who are caught speeding by the license plate recognition system will receive a citation,” Persley said. “I want to make one thing clear, though, after a local news outlet put out misinformation that the (slower school zone speed limits) would be in effect throughout the day. The posted speed limits are in effect except for the one-hour period before school and the one hour after. (The lower speed limit of 25 mph) is not in effect throughout the day as has been reported.”

Persley noted that the new camera systems will take photographs of the license plates of speeding vehicles, and those photos allow the company managing the system to generate citations that will be sent to the address of the person who is listed as owner of the vehicle.

“There will be no points taken off of anyone’s license, and the citations will not increase anyone’s insurance,” the APD chief said. “We have the camera systems in four school zones. The speed limit is reduced to 25 mph, as I said, one hour before and after school. The speed limit returns to the posted limit after that time.

“People who have businesses in those zones that have had vehicles they own receive warnings for excess speed in the school zones have asked us who will be responsible for paying the tickets if the vehicle is being driven one of their employees. That’s really up to the businesses. The company will send the citation to the person (or company) listed as owner of the vehicle.”

License plate recognition cameras have been set up on Whispering Pines Road, near Sherwood Elementary School, going east and west; on North Westover Boulevard, near Westover High School, going north and south; on Blaylock Street, near Robert Harvey Elementary, going north and south; and on West Oakridge Drive, near Alice Coachman Elementary, going east and west.

File PhotoStaff Photo: Tara Dyer