CT Mirror reported that more than half a dozen Connecticut towns have contracted with BusPatrol to catch drivers who pass stopped school buses. The towns put the technology on their bus fleets, even as state and local leaders call for a pause on license plate readers.
Which towns have school bus cameras?
CT Mirror names Vernon, Bridgeport, Danbury, Shelton, Stratford, North Haven and New Haven. New Haven installed the technology on more than 300 buses earlier this year, and its cameras have already recorded 12,000 incidents, according to CT Mirror.
Vernon's police chief, Marc Petruzzi, said the town installed the cameras to avoid future tragedies. Vernon spokesman David Owens said that in the first three days of the program, the cameras caught almost 100 motorists.
How do the bus cameras work?
BusPatrol installs the cameras on the towns' bus fleets. They record any motorist passing a bus that is displaying flashing red lights. BusPatrol's technicians log the events and give the recordings to local police.
CT Mirror reports that BusPatrol's cameras are not continuously monitoring the roads, unlike some Flock cameras. A BusPatrol spokesperson said they are triggered only when a bus is stopped with its warning lights and stop arm engaged.
What are the fines for passing a school bus?
Passing a stopped school bus has been illegal in Connecticut for decades. The fines have changed since the state allowed bus camera evidence:
- In 2011, the fine for a first-time violation was $450, whether or not it was caught on camera.
- In 2024, lawmakers set the fine for a first-time violation caught on camera at $250.
- The fine for a violation caught by an officer in person is still $450.
Josh Morgan, communications director at the Department of Transportation, said there were 12 fatalities and 23 serious injuries involving school buses in the last six years. CT Mirror says it is not clear how many involved cars passing a bus with its lights flashing.
What are residents worried about?
Some residents are wary of how the video is stored and shared. Dan Piper, an organizer with the CT Civil Liberties Defense Committee, raised the possibility that video could be shared with federal immigration enforcement agencies.
BusPatrol said it keeps information only as long as needed for law enforcement review or as required by law. It says the data is purged once the citation reaches its final disposition. By default, all data belongs to the school district, the company said in an emailed statement.
CT Mirror cites reporting from CT Insider that Connecticut ALPR cameras were searched thousands of times by out-of-state agencies enforcing immigration and other states' abortion laws. According to DeFlock, Connecticut has the most ALPR cameras per capita in New England, with nearly 800 installed by municipalities and businesses.
What did the governor ask for?
Gov. Lamont called for a 30-day pause on municipalities installing new automated license plate readers. The pause is meant to give the Connecticut Police Officers Standards and Training Council time to develop guidance on data retention and sharing.
CT Mirror reports that Lamont's list of devices covers school zone enforcement, work zone speed cameras, fixed ALPRs and drones. It does not specifically name school bus-mounted cameras. His spokesperson, Cathryn Vaulman, said the pause would allow "time to evaluate potential gaps in our existing legal protections."
What changes for drivers?
If your town uses BusPatrol, its cameras record motorists who pass a stopped bus with flashing red lights. CT Mirror does not say how many buses in each town carry the cameras, or how many motorists have been cited. You can check what is mapped on the camera map, and how plate readers work covers the technology.
A Flock Safety spokesperson told Connecticut Public that at least half of the state's police departments use some of the company's services. The spokesperson declined to comment to CT Mirror on the overall number of cameras in Connecticut.
What happens next?
The governor's 30-day pause runs while the state's training council writes guidance on data retention and sharing. CT Mirror does not say whether the pause applies to school bus cameras.