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Baltimore Co. To Move Speed Cameras To New School Zones

BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. (WJZ) -- A lead foot or an empty wallet. That's the warning Baltimore County has for drivers as it considers new school zones to install speed cameras.

Gigi Barnett has more.

Baltimore County says its newly-installed speed cameras are a success.

"In several of the locations, the cameras have really, radically reduced speeding," said Baltimore County spokeswoman Elise Armacost.

So much so that the county now wants to switch those cameras to find more speeders.

"For people like me, who follow the rules, it helps because I don't want to get a ticket. But for others, it isn't that expensive, as well," driver Kelly Meeks said.

For the last year, the county watched its cameras, the drivers and the number of $40 tickets it issued. They saw a change.

"I'm a teacher where kids have gotten hit a couple of times, so I favor it there and I favor it everywhere," said Michael Jarman, another driver.

Last year, Baltimore County approved a bill that allowed 15 speed cameras only in school zones. Earlier this year, lawmakers changed that. Now, while cameras have to stay in school zones, there's an unlimited number.

"That's a little bit greedy. If you look at it, 15, I say, 'OK'. But now, they're unlimited. That's so much more of a money type thing," said Ameenah Henderson.

Because of its cash-strapped budget, the county won't bring in extra cameras until Jan. 1.

Until then the county says: "Obey the law and slow down."

The Baltimore County Police Chief James W. Johnson sent a new list of the speed zones to the county. He's awaiting approval, but he won't say where those speed zones are. He, however, did mention one school where speeding was a problem-- Eastern Technical High School.

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