Dozens of drivers reached out to 11Alive on social media, complaining about Spalding County's school zone speed cameras.
Spalding County Sheriff Darrell Dix started clapping back in the Facebook comments. He said he's received hundreds of complaints since the inception of the program.
"If it's a speed trap, it's the worst baited speed trap I've ever seen," Dix said.
How the cameras work
Dix explained that there are signs with warnings and flashing lights as you lead up to the cameras. Here's how it works.
"If they're still going at least 10 miles an hour over the posted speed limit for the school zone, then they are caught by the radar," Dix said.
Dix said the program has only been around in Spalding County for about a year or so but has been used in bigger cities for years. He says, for its purpose, the cameras are working.
"We have seen a significant drop in speeding through school zones," Dix said.
It's not working for Bruce Melton, who lives within walking distance from a school in Griffin. He calls the cameras discriminatory.
"Communities that have high-tax values, they give them a free ride where they can take their children to the school without having to ride through the speed trap cameras," Melton said.
Melton said he and his wife have racked up over $300 in citations already. He asks the sheriff why the cameras face the opposite way of the entrance of the school. He feels the cameras aren't worth the investment.
"Excuse me, speed bumps will do the exact same thing and nobody has to be paying all these outrageous tickets," Melton said. "And the children will stay safe."
Drivers said the cameras have been the cause of citations after school zone hours. Dix said it's not true.
"Nobody has produced one to us that has been written after hours," Dix said. "No one has shown one to the judge."
Dix explained how the cameras work. The footage goes through their vendor and their algorithm to catch errors. Then, photos and videos are placed inside the sheriff's office's system. A real deputy reviews the footage and then issues the citation.
Drivers have also called the cameras a money grab. Dix said the money goes right back to the county, such as for more equipment for school resource officers.
"If anybody wants to come in and look at anything that money has been spent on, we're really transparent," Dix said.
School zone hours
Dix felt drivers are getting confused about the school zone hours:
- Elementary schools: 6:45 a.m.-7:45 a.m., 2:30 p.m. -3:30 p.m.
- Middle schools: 8 a.m.-9 a.m., 4 p.m.-5 p.m.
- High schools: 7:45 a.m. -8:45 a.m., 3:15 p.m.- 4:15 p.m.
He said anybody who feels the system is flawed needs to prove it.
"None of this would be an issue if people just slow down," Dix said.
Dix said if you prove a citation has been issued in error, the sheriff's office will dismiss it. If you paid your citation already, they'll give you your money back. You can meet a deputy at the sheriff's office, even if it's after hours, to prove your case or prove it in court.