‘They’re just nuts:’ DeKalb County parents, police upset over school zone speeders

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Police departments in DeKalb County say school district officials are continuing to put students’ lives at risk by not putting speed detection cameras in place.

Parents told Channel 2′s Michael Seiden that they aren’t happy a decision hasn’t been made either.

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Parents of students at Montgomery Elementary School in Brookhaven say drivers speeding through the area is a major problem.

“People come flying down here,” grandfather T.A. Maurer said. “Look at this! I mean, they’re flying. They had to be going at least 50! They’re just nuts!”

“No one respects school zones anywhere,” mother Sarah Coburn told Seiden.

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That is exactly why police chiefs say installing speed detection cameras would help speeders hit the brakes.

“In the school zones we studied, hundreds, and in the several cases, thousands of motorists are speeding in excess of 10 miles per hour of the speed limit. Each and every day,” Dunwoody Police Chief Billy Grogan said.

Grogan says that the cameras issue fines to the speeding drivers. Because they are civil infractions, drivers would not even receive points against their license.

During a Monday news conference, Grogan said that even though other cities have wracked up millions of dollars from similar cameras, he is more focused on keeping the community safe.

Under state law, however, the cities cannot proceed without approval from the school district.

“That position is unacceptable. It is also needlessly putting the lives of the children who attend the schools in question at risk,” Grogan said.

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The DeKalb County School District released a statement Monday that reiterated their commitment to student safety. It read in part,

DeKalb County School District (DCSD) prioritizes the safety and well-being of its students, parents, teachers, and staff. Nothing is more important to DCSD than their well-being. Safety can only be achieved through an equal partnership with local law enforcement to ensure decisions about where Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) is conducted are equitably and fairly made throughout DeKalb County.

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