As Vienna begins using a speed camera to increase income amid the township’s financial crisis, two local police departments are touting the benefits of the devices.

Vienna trustees announced at a meeting Aug. 5 that they will begin using an officer-operated speed camera. Right now, speeders will receive warnings instead of tickets, and the warnings will continue for the first 30 days. Starting Sept. 5, tickets will be issued for motorists going 11 mph or more over the posted speed limit.

An estimated $80,000 will be generated this year from the speed camera, which will be used on state Route 82, state Route 193, Niles Vienna Road, Warren Sharon Road and state Route 11 within the township’s boundaries. Trustees hope the camera will increase safety as well as increase income.

Girard Municipal Court will receive $10 from each ticket because Vienna is in the Girard court’s jurisdiction. After a percentage goes to Blue Line Solutions — the company that owns the cameras — 51% of the remaining money will go to the Vienna Police Department and the other 49% will be dispersed to various areas of the township. Trustees have not yet decided how this will be distributed.

LIBERTY

The Liberty Police Department operates one speed camera.

Liberty police Chief Toby Meloro said they give out between 1,500 and 4,000 tickets per month, which has generated an estimated couple hundred thousand so far this year.

Fifty percent of this is taken out by Blue Line Solutions, and the rest is divided in half, then each half is distributed between the police fund and the general fund, Meloro said.

He said drivers only receive camera tickets if they are going 10 mph or more.

Meloro said if a driver exceeds speeds of 80 mph, officers pull them over instead of using the camera because, like neighboring Vienna, the camera is staffed by an officer and is not stationary.

He said in addition to income, Liberty’s biggest success with the camera has been increasing safety.

“We slow down speeders,” Meloro said. “I think we’ve reduced accidents by running the speed camera (drastically). I’d say that’s very successful.”

The camera appears on busy roads such as state Route 11 and Belmont Avenue.

Meloro said he has no opinion on Vienna operating a camera to shore up its finances, but hopes the camera will save lives.

“I’m sure people speed on 82,” he said. “The No. 1 priority is to save lives.”

GIRARD

The Girard Police Department operates two speed cameras.

Police Chief John Norman said the department gives 1,500 to 2,500 tickets monthly. The department has generated between $400,000 to $500,000 so far in 2024.

Forty percent of the income is taken out by Blue Line Solutions, while 46% of the remaining funds go to the city’s general fund, 25% goes to the street fund, 20% goes into the safety fund, 5% goes into the capital improvement fund, 3% goes to the Wellman Theatre and 1% goes to the recreation fund.

Norman said drivers have a leeway of under 10 mph.

He said that depending on the officer, some drivers may get pulled over and others may receive speed camera tickets.

“Common sense will dictate when an officer will pull somebody over,” Norman said.

Norman said the cameras have been successful because they have reduced accidents.

“We have a lot more people complying now than we did when we first started this,” he said.

He said cameras are stationed in high-traffic areas, such as U.S. Route 422

Vienna Township was placed in fiscal emergency by the state auditor’s office in July because of a $1.2 million deficit resulting from what is being investigated by the state auditor as “misappropriated funds.”

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