New speed zone cameras going up in Burke County

BURKE COUNTY, Ga. (WJBF) – New speed zone cameras are soon coming to Burke County. A month-long warning period will begin in just a few days for drivers going down the Highway 25 bypass.

The Burke County Sheriff’s Office and the Burke County School System have talked about installing speed enforcement cameras for just over a year. Now the talking is turning into action.
Drivers speeding by Burke County High School is nothing new for the sheriff’s office. Data collected by the tech company Altumint shows the real numbers.

“They did a 12-hour speed study, and within that 12 hours we noticed that there were over 350 violations,” said Col. Chad Plueger with the Burke County Sheriff’s Office. “During the actual duration of the whole school day, it was 150 of those–or more.”

The sheriff’s office announced the cameras would be installed by Altumint on April 15th, but had to postpone due to “Unforeseen technical issues”. Plueger says this was because of a heavy storm.

“Once they drew the power to the cameras in the powerline, they noticed after we had that rain that there was some water in there. So they had to go back and do some revamping there to make sure it was all safe setting up for the live date.”

In a statement, the Burke County School System says in part:

We have been in conversations with Burke County Sheriff’s Department regarding the speed enforcement cameras for over a year. They have been used throughout other counties in the state, and data shows a reduction in accidents in school zones. The safety of our students, staff, and visitors is our top priority. Altumint provided us with speed study data collected during school hours and we were in agreement that something needed to be done to curb the violations. To address these concerns and enhance safety for everyone, Altumint has installed speed cameras on Burke Veterans Parkway, outside the high school.

We understand that some drivers may find this inconvenient. However, we believe this is a necessary step to ensure a safe environment for our school community. Speeding in school zones is a serious offense that puts children at risk. We urge all drivers to obey the posted speed limit and be extra cautious when traveling near schools.

We appreciate the Burke County Sheriff’s Department taking the initiative to work with the school system to address speeding concerns around our schools. Their commitment to student safety is commendable.

Plueger says he hopes this effort will teach drivers to slow down in school zones across the county.

“We want to make sure we’re safe with our students, teachers, faculty, visitors and anything within that area. Just slow down, take your time.”

Altumint has already started installing the cameras on Thursday. They’ll turn on Monday. That’s when a 30-day warning period for drivers begins. After that you’ll get a ticket.

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